NACo-Gate Day 30: Magazzu Drags Atlantic County Democrats Into NACo-Gate

Millville - As the NACo-Gate controversy drags on it has become increasingly obvious that more people and organizations may be dragged into the problem created by Lou Magazzu.

Cumberland County Regular Republican Organization Chairman Robert "Bob" Greco announced, "After our recent referral of a request for an investigation of Lou Magazzu's conduct to the New Jersey Attorney General it struck us that the Atlantic County Democratic Organization gave a gift of $500 to Lou Magazzu's slush fund on May 28, 2009."

"Just as state law prohibited the Cumberland County Democratic Organization loaning money to Mr. Magazzu for his personal purposes, so too does state law prohibit the Atlantic County Democratic Organization from giving Magazzu money for his NACo bid," Greco added.

Greco called on the Atlantic County Democratic Organization to provide a statement of their reasons for making such an apparently illegal gift to Magazzu.

Greco said, "We hope that another referral to the Attorney General will not be necessary but we will wait to see how the Atlantic County Democrats respond. It would be a real shame if Magazzu's risky behavior dragged other County organizations into trouble."

"We are still looking into whether the election campaign accounts of Joe Cryan, who gave $500 to Magazzu's slush fund on July 20, 2009, and Glenn Veterano, who gave $250 to Magazzu's slush fund on July 20, 2009, are in any trouble because the rules governing parties are different from those governing campaigns," Greco explained.

"I guess the issue may also relate to the $5,000 contribution to Magazzu's NACo slush fund from Governor Jon Corzine on August 24, 2009 depending on whether it was made from Jon Corzine personally or a campaign fund," Greco stated.

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The statutes Chairman Greco referenced are:

19:5-5. Maintenance of party organization

Any State committee, county committee or municipal committee of any political party may receive and disburse moneys for the general purposes of maintaining such organization during the whole or any part of the year. The expenses for maintenance of organization shall be confined to the hiring or acquisition of suitable quarters for meetings of such committee, for stationery, for hiring of necessary clerks, for the expenses of notices of the meetings of such committee, for giving publicity to the policies and candidates of their respective party organizations, and other expenses incidental to the maintenance of such organization.

19:34-34. Expenditures by party committee or organization or petitioners

No such party committee or organization, nor any committee of any group of petitioners, nor any other person shall expend any money in aid of any candidate for public office, except as herein otherwise provided.

19:34-35. Other contributions and expenditures

Any person who shall expend, aid or assist in the expenditure of any such money for a purpose not authorized by this title, or for a purpose not named in the statement accompanying such contribution, shall be guilty of a crime of the third degree.

Paid for by Cumberland County Regular Republican Organization