Sweeney, Norcross and the SJTA
Good Tuesday morning!
Like most New Jersey politicians, former Senate President Steve Sweeney hasn’t said anything about the indictment of George Norcross, his close friend and political benefactor.
But Sweeney’s got more at stake than the average politician here. Not only is he running for governor with his biggest backer under indictment, but Sweeney is mentioned both in that indictment and the related one against two South Jersey Transportation Authority Commissioners.
Sweeney, identified with the hard-to-narrow-down moniker of “former Senate president,” doesn’t show up prominently in the Norcross indictment. He was allegedly part of several email exchanges with Phil Norcross involving the drafting of the “Economic Opportunity Act,” and for helping improve Dana Redd’s pension. Sweeney has a more prominent role in the complaint against the SJTA commissioners, Christopher Milam and Bryan Bush.
The commissioners allegedly refused payment to T&M Associates because George Norcross was mad at a company executive, Mercer County Commissioner John Cimino, for refusing to stay neutral in the Mercer County executive race. According to the indictment, it was Sweeney — his identity carefully cloaked by the description of ”former Senate president” — who got them to approve the payments following a call from “Lobbyist-1,” who based on the circumstances appears to be Sweeney adviser and former Senate Democratic Executive Director Kevin Drennan. Drennan had received a call complaining about not being paid from Cimino, aka “Commissioner-1.”
“On May 12, 2023, the Former Senate President called Milam. On May 12, 2023, approximately an hour and a half after the Former Senate President spoke with Milam, Executive Director-1 sent an email to SJTA employees stating that he was approving payment of Firm-1’s bills for services rendered.
It’s never good for your barely concealed identity to show up in indictments, especially when running for governor. But there’s no allegations of wrongdoing for Sweeney, and, hey, maybe he can campaign on his ability to get stuff done with a single phone call.
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HAPPY BIRTHDAY: Greg McGuckin, Charles Stile, Alyana Alfaro, Julie Diaz, Ed Potosnak, Amol Sinha, Frank Luna, David Smith, Theo Siggelakis
QUOTE OF THE DAY: “You’re not only making it a soap opera, you’re making it a bad soap opera.” — Judge Sidney Stein to Sen. Bob Menendez’s lawyers
WHERE’S MURPHY? — No public schedule
PROGRAMMING NOTE — New Jersey Playbook will not publish Thursday for the July 4th holiday or Friday, because nobody wants to spend July 4 working on a newsletter.
MENENDEZ CORRUPTION TRIAL
NADINE’S NADIR — Menendez defense gets off to a rocky start, by POLITICO’s Ry Rivard: On Election Day 2018, Bob Menendez won a third term in the Senate after his political career had been wounded at the start of his first corruption trial a year earlier. … But the day was not all happiness. In a text message shown to jurors Monday in his latest trial, Menendez shared his emotions about breaking up with Nadine Arslanian. ‘I cared for her a great deal,’ he said in a message to Nadine’s sister, ‘but I can not get over her being with [another man] while she was with me.’ Menendez wound up marrying Nadine two years later. But his heartfelt election night text to his wife’s sister two years before was to suggest that they were not together during a period that prosecutors say they were conspiring. … The senator’s defense team is trying to rebut prosecutors’ claims that the couple conspired from early 2018 through 2022 to sell his office for gold bars and stacks of cash. But prosecutors poked holes in the defense witnesses’ accounts that may have seriously wounded the senator’s defense case. In particular, prosecutors emphasized that the forensic accountant, who Menendez’s team has fought for weeks to call to testify, fabricated data Menendez’s legal team presented to jurors.
JUST A REMINDER THAT MENENDEZ SERVES ON THE BANKING COMMITTEE— “It’s a Cuban thing’: Menendez’s sister says their parents also hid cash,” by The New York Times’ Tracey Tully and Benjamin Wiser: “Senator Robert Menendez’s sister testified on Monday about their parents’ journey from Cuba and the family’s practice of storing cash at home, offering justification for a habit the senator has said explains at least some of the roughly $480,000 F.B.I. agents seized during a search of his New Jersey home. The sister, Caridad Gonzalez, was 8 years old when her family fled Cuba in 1951, three years before Mr. Menendez was born in New York City. She told jurors that their father, a tie manufacturer, stored money in a false bottom of a grandfather clock in their home in Havana. ‘It’s a Cuban thing,’ Ms. Gonzalez, who is in her 80s, testified. ‘They were afraid of losing what they worked so hard for.’”
WHAT TRENTON MADE
THREE MEN AND A BUDGEY — “Three men in a room: We have to stop Trenton's budget disease,” by The Record’s Charles Stile: “The budget of New Jersey's fiscal year 2025 will be enacted at the start of another summer from hell for New Jersey train commuters. Yes, the Murphy administration and the Democratic-controlled Legislature — collaborators in weakening the Garden State's democracy by dangerously curtailing access to public records — have finally gotten around to providing a pipeline of needed revenue into NJ Transit. The new tax on corporations will be solely dedicated to the transit agency. Years of complaints and warnings from the beleaguered rail and bus riders couldn’t move the three Democratic men-in-a-room who have say over every tax dollar distributed out of Trenton. It took the stranded commuters broiling in the Heat Dome -- and venting on every social media platform and television station in the New York metropolitan area -- to finally stir them to action. … Yet, the tidy, controversy-free passage of the budget … is a kind of metaphor of state government, and it's not just been under Murphy’s watch. Trenton's ruling Democrats acted only when the crisis became a widespread media problem, even though mechanical failure — aging, unreliable equipment — has been the chief source of cancellation for some time now.”
NEW JERSEYANS CALL FOR A RUSH HALT— “N.J. just passed a record state budget in a big rush, and critics say that’s a bad trend,” by NJ Advance Media’s Jelani Gibson: “New Jersey’s new state budget was once again rushed through the Legislature at the last minute, leaving virtually no time for lawmakers and the public to review a 373-page bill. And that’s drawing fire — again — from critics who call it an attack on government transparency. … This past week, the budget bill (S-2025) was introduced late Wednesday afternoon. By 11 p.m., it was approved by the Senate and Assembly budget committees and cleared for final votes two days later in the state Legislature. Last year, legislators voted on a budget that not all of them had even seen. The result: a bill passed with amendments the public was unaware of, including add-ons for legislative districts. And no time for the budget in its final form to be scrutinized. … ‘We have seen how procrastinated budget bills lead to votes with little to no public feedback and the legislators voting on bills they have not even seen,’ said Jesse Burns, executive director of the League of Women Voters of New Jersey. ‘If we believe in a robust democracy, that has to include meaningful public feedback on the biggest single bill of the year. The people of this state deserve better and are sick and tired of Trenton’s anti-transparency antics.’”
—“New NJ budget: Supporters, critics weigh up pluses and minuses”
SOON STUDENTS WON’T BE ABLE TO COUNT THAT HIGH — “N.J. schools are cutting hundreds of jobs this summer. Here’s why,” by NJ Advance Media’s Jackie Roman: “New Jersey schools are cutting hundreds of teachers and other staff in adopting tighter budgets for the 2024-25 school year. The layoffs affect a wide range of personnel, including aides, teachers, counselors, security, custodial staff and administrators. The cuts have been criticized by educators and community members, some of whom said teachers are being asked ‘to do more with less.’ ‘How are we supposed to have the teachers keep their morale up to even want to teach?’ asked one resident in Hazlet, where the school district recently abolished 16 positions, including 12 teachers. … The staff cuts are largely attributed by school officials to a reduction in funding, mainly state aid. But, officials also cited an expiration of federal COVID-19 relief funds and rising costs for things like tuition for out-of-district students, transportation and healthcare. Some districts are facing significant state funding cuts for the upcoming school year as New Jersey fully implements its school funding formula for the first time.”
MEGAN’S LAW — “N.J. high court eases test for juvenile offenders to be removed from sex offender list,” by New Jersey Monitor’s Nikita Biryukov: “Some of those placed on the state’s sex offender list as juveniles are not required to stay offense-free for 15 years following their conviction or release, New Jersey’s Supreme Court ruled Monday. The ruling is a victory for those who have sought to narrow how Megan’s Law registration can be applied to minors. Chief Justice Stuart Rabner, writing for a unanimous court, said deciding in any other way would have required the court to add language to the statute. ‘We cannot do so,’ Rabner wrote.”
—“New Jersey to New York City Commute Is Costlier and Worse as Fares Increase”
—McDonald: “New Jersey’s decision to continue retaining baby blood samples is perplexing”
BIDEN TIME
MORE COURT HERRINGS TO FOLLOW — “Three NJ herring fishermen made history at the Supreme Court, but their fight isn't over,” by The Asbury Park Press’ Dan Radel: “Three herring fishermen from Cape May fought the law all the way to the U.S. Supreme Court and won. In doing so, the three men overturned the 40-year-old Chevron doctrine, thus making it easier for them and others to challenge federal regulations in court. But, their battle is not over. The fishermen are challenging what they say is an unlawful requirement that forces them to surrender 20% of their earnings to pay at-sea monitors, who gather information that is used to regulate their industry. That worked out to as much as $700 a day, which is more pay than the crews take home sometimes. … The court's decision on Friday to toss out Chevron clears the way for the fishermen to fight the at-sea monitoring rule in a Washington, D.C., circuit court, where the case originated. That litigation will begin in earnest in a few months.”
—Pizarro: “Fighting on with Joe Biden”
—“If Cory Booker winds up on a national ticket, what happens to his Senate seat?”
—“Candidates forum in Newark on Monday for Payne Jr.’s District 10 House seat”
—Video: “Analysis of US Supreme Court’s Trump immunity decision”
LOCAL
BRICK — “Judge throws out whistleblower lawsuit brought by ex-Brick schools chief in 9-year fight,” by The Asbury Park Press’ Amanda Oglesby: “A Superior Court judge last week threw out a 6-year-old whistleblower lawsuit brought by former Brick schools superintendent Walter Uszenski and his family against the Brick Board of Education stemming from his 2015 arrest and subsequent ouster. In an oral opinion rendered on June 24, Superior Court Judge Owen C. McCarthy said the Brick school board's suspension of Uszenski and its ultimate decision not to renew his employment contract was not in retaliation for any of his whistleblowing activities, which included complaining about an alleged no-show job held by a former state senator's sister and exposing a $750,000 budget deficit. Rather, the Brick school board had no choice but to take action against Uszenski, now 71 and living in Vero Beach, Florida, after it was notified by the state Board of Education that the superintendent's arrest disqualified him from school employment, McCarthy said.”
SCHOOL TO BUILD MASSIVE ESPORTS BETTING PARLOR BEHIND VIDEO SCREEN — “This North Jersey school is building an esports arena with 34-foot screen. That's not all,” by The Record’s Philip DeVencentis: “A $13 million project at Manchester Regional High School will overhaul the oldest wing of the building while positioning students on the leading edge of music and stage production, officials said. The work now underway will also cater to the fastest-growing segment of the high school population: hardcore gamers. Their club was promoted this past year to the varsity level, and they competed in Garden State Esports — the biggest scholastic esports league in the U.S. As part of the project, a 12-foot by 34-foot video wall is being hung as a stage backdrop in the high school auditorium. The expectation is that the massive screen will be used for esports tournaments.”
PARSIPPANATORY DEMOCRAY — “Musella kicks off mayoral campaign,” by InsiderNJ’s Fred Snowflack: “On the surface, it’s hard to discern anything so awful about this town of more than 55,000 – the largest in Morris County. But there’s always something beneath the surface – especially when it comes to politics. And on the Saturday before the Fourth of July, Councilman Justin Musella had that in mind when he launched plans to run for mayor in 2025. The township is over-taxed, is too buddy-buddy with developers and runs town hall like a private club. The last allegation in truth is a bit flimsy. Just about every administration regardless of political persuasion is accused of cronyism.”
DO THEY HAVE TO LET IT LINGER? — “Alex Mendez will lead Paterson council again, despite lingering election fraud case,” by The Paterson Press’ Joe Malinconico: “Despite the long-lingering cloud of pending election fraud charges, Alex Mendez won support from the City Council to serve as its president for the second consecutive year. Mendez won the job in a 7-2 vote on Monday afternoon, with his only opposition coming from Councilman Michael Jackson, who is grappling with his own election fraud case, and Councilman Luis Velez, who asserted that Mendez broke his promise to support him for president. Mendez has benefited from his alliance with Mayor Andre Sayegh during the past year.”
IN IT TO VIN IT — “Dyese Davis is new Monmouth Dem chair,” by New Jersey Globe’s David Wildstein: “Dyese Davis, a 31-year-old rising star in state Democratic politics, was elected Monmouth County Democratic chair tonight, replacing David G. Brown II, who did not seek re-election after nearly eight years as leader of the county party organization. Matawan Democratic Municipal Chair Deana Gunn, a political organizer for the New Jersey State Laborers PAC, was elected vice chair. Davis serves as chief of staff to State Sen. Vin Gopal (D-Long Branch) and Assemblywomen Margie Donlon (D-Ocean) and Luanne Peterpaul (D-Long Branch, and is vice chair of the Neptune Planning Board.”
—“Paterson arrests are up 27% this year. So has crime gone down?”
—“Paterson cop who pleaded guilty to two assaults on civilians is fired”
—“Video: East Newark cop charged with on-duty DUI had wine bottle in police cruiser”
—“How Passaic County's major deal with labor unions could affect construction projects”
—“Judges were briefed by election official in advance of anticipated challenges”
—“[Mercer County College] official sexually harassed worker as HR ignored her complaints, lawsuit says”
EVERYTHING ELSE
—Cooper University Health closes deal to acquire Cape Regional Health
—“Supreme Court homeless ruling could impact NJ, advocates fear”
—“NJ firefighters among 20,000 with cancer suing makers of foam chemicals”
—“At NYC rally, family of Hamas hostage from Tenafly urges U.S. and Israel to reach a deal”