Republican legislative race updates

Three Republicans put out press releases this morning attacking their Democratic opponents.

In district one, Republican Assemblyman/State Senate candidate Nicholas Asselta questioned his Democratic opponent, Assemblyman Jeff Van Drew, over his former support for a bill that would have benefited U.S. Vision, a company that was purchased in a partnership between South Jersey political boss George Norcross and Assembly Speaker Joe Roberts, a Van Drew financer.

Van Drew told the Press of Atlantic City that he was unaware that U.S. Vision would have benefited from the legislation, which would have allowed optometrists to perform corrective laser eye surgery.

“Did Jeff Van Drew know when he picked up Joe Roberts’ bill that Leader Roberts was a co-owner of a national eye-care chain, with a multimillion-dollar stake in that legislation?,” said Asselta. “Or did Jeff just pick up his patrons’ legislation and run with it, without bothering to check the clear conflict of interest"

But Van Drew said that Roberts did not influence him to re-introduce the legislation.  Instead, he said, he was approached by ophthalmologists and optometrists, who he said he frequently advocates for, about it. 

“I never met with Assemblyman Roberts or U.S. Vision about it – I never knew anything about them other than the little bit that I read,” said Van Drew. 

In district 37, Republican State Senate candidate Clara Nibot, who has thus far failed to qualify for funds from the Clean Elections Program, wants the Election Law Enforcement Commission to investigate Weinberg for “possible misuse” of her own Clean Elections campaign funds to obtain documents in order to investigate several Bergen County agencies.

“I am concerned that Sen. Weinberg is co-mingling Clean Election campaign funds with other money at her disposal to essentially carry out a political vendetta,” said Nibot.

But Weinberg said that the money came from her previous campaign funds, before her campaign had filed for Clean Elections. Still, she said, even if the money did come from Clean Elections funds, it would have been appropriate. Weinberg said that the OPRA requests were made to investigate “shadow governments” – something she's making a campaign issue.

“This has to do with a press conference and with ideas we have as incumbent legislators and as candidates for office,” said Weinberg.

In neighboring district 36, the long shot Republican Assembly candidates Carmen Pio Costa and Don Diorio assailed incumbent Democratic Assemblymen Gary Schaer and Frank Scalera for not doing enough on ethics reform.

The Republicans said that the Democrats had voted with their party either against Republican reforms or in favor of watered down legislation.

“The voters need elected officials who will be independent minded reformers – not ‘yes men’ for the party bosses in Trenton,” said Pio Costa.

The Schaer and Scalera campaigns could not immediately be reached for comment.