October 9, 2007 - 12:59pm
News

GOP candidate questions Weinberg funding of OPRA request

Clara Nibot, Republican candidate for State Senate in the 37th district is trying to make an issue of opposition research from her opponent, incumbent Loretta Weinberg.  What makes this interesting is that Weinberg is looking for information on Bergen County Democratic Chairman Joseph Ferriero, not Nibot.

The GOP candidate has asked the state Election Law Enforcement Commission to investigate why Real Bergen Democrats, a political action committee closely aligned with Weinberg, was paying for public documents under an OPRA request after the Democratic Senator's own campaign account was frozen when she agreed to accept public financing.  Weinberg says the request was made before she qualified to participate in the Clean Elections program last July.  Nibot suggests that Weinberg is trying to have it both ways: have taxpayers pay for her re-election campaign while using her PAC to fund her political side projects.

Wally Edge can be reached via email at politicsnj@aol.com.