Alex DeCroce

Assembly Minority Leader Alex DeCroce (R-Parsippany) says that federal prosecutors should probe whether four New Jersey legislators violated any laws when they pushed the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) to approve a medical device marketed by campaign contributors.

A New York Times story this morning alleged that U.S. Senators Robert Menendez (D-Hoboken) and Frank Lautenberg (D-Cliffside Park), and U.S. Reps. Steven Rothman (D-Fair Lawn) and Frank Pallone (D-Long Branch), asked the FDA to reverse the recommendation of their scientists and approve a patch for injured knees that had been found to be unsafe.  The manufacturer, ReGen Biologics, Inc., made what the Times called "significant" contributions to their campaigns a few months before they intervened with the FDA.

DeCroce, citing OpenSecrets.org, a website that tracks campaign contributions, the four Democrats received a total of $26,00 from ReGen executives.  He wants the incoming U.S. Attorney, Paul Fishman, to make a probe of the congressional Democrats his first priority.

"This could be one of the worst cases of ‘pay-to-play' perpetrated by any public official in New Jersey," said DeCroce.

            Assembly Republican Leader Alex DeCroce said today the first order of business for Paul J. Fishman, soon to be the new U.S. Attorney for New Jersey, should be to determine if both U.S. Senators and two congressmen from New Jersey crossed ethical and legal bounds by exerting undue influence on the Federal Drug Administration (FDA) to approve a medical patch for injured knees manufactured by a major campaign contributor.

            “If the charges leveled by the FDA are true, the only conclusion that can be drawn is that Senator Robert Menendez, Senator Frank Lautenberg and Representatives Frank Pallone Jr. and Steven R. Rothman put the interests of a campaign contributor ahead of the health of people in pain,” said DeCroce, R-Morris and Passaic. “This could be one of the worst cases of ‘pay-to-play’ perpetrated by any public official in New Jersey.

            “Every surgical procedure has risks,” he noted. “How anyone can push for approval of a device medical experts deemed to be unsafe, exposing patients to serious risks is incomprehensible to me. Menendez, Lautenberg, Pallone and Rothman must be held accountable for such recklessness.”

            The New York Times reported today that scientific reviewers for the FDA repeatedly and unanimously over many years decided that the device, known as Menaflex and manufactured by ReGen Biologics Inc., was unsafe because the device often failed, forcing patients to get another operation.

            But after receiving what an FDA report described as “extreme,” “unusual” and persistent pressure from four Democrats from New Jersey — Senators Menendez and Lautenberg and Congressmen Pallone  and Rothman — agency managers overruled the scientists and approved the device for sale in December.

            Three executive officers at ReGen, which is based in New Jersey, contributed a total of $26,000 to the four Democratic representatives beginning in October 2007, according to OpenSecrets.org.

PARSIPPANY, NJ - Today, Assemblyman Alex DeCroce made the following statement calling on Jon Corzine to disclose his casino industry investments:  "Today's news about Governor Jon Corzine's interest in Texas Pacific Group is disturbing and raises serious questions about the governor's judgment. Not only are Governor Corzine's actions negligent, but he may have actually broken the law. If we're going to restore the public's trust in the system, Jon Corzine must immediately disclose how much he has personally invested in these casino-related ventures and immediately divest the funds. Frankly, Jon Corzine should know better, and we deserve answers."

           Calling it “the most incredibly dumb and insensitive remarks every uttered by a governor,” Assembly Republican Leader Alex DeCroce says Jon Corzine owes the people of New Jersey, particularly those who have lost their jobs, an apology for suggesting on television that anyone who wants to live in a state with low unemployment should “live in North Dakota.”

           “There is something seriously wrong with the mindset of anyone who would make such a statement,” asserted DeCroce, R-Morris and Passaic. “That this was said by someone who is singularly responsible for fouling New Jersey’s business climate and giving employers little choice but to lay off workers, close up the shop or move their operations out of state is downright insulting.

          “Under normal circumstances, I would have asked the governor to explain his comment. But I don’t see how a rationale explanation is possible. Corzine needs to apologize and admit he blundered badly by making such an inane statement.”

            Corzine’s remarks about North Dakota came Tuesday during an interview broadcast by NJN News. “If you want to go to a real low unemployment rate, go to North Dakota,” said Corzine.

Q POLL: VOTERS WANT GOP ASSEMBLY

U.S. Senator Frank Lautenberg (D-Cliffside Park) has a 43%-41% approval rating and U.S. Senator Robert Menendez (D-Hoboken) is a 40%-37% approval rating, according to a new Quinnipiac University poll. The New Jersey Legislature gets an upside-down approval rating of 25%-64%.  Among independents, it is upside-down at 20%-69%.

Asked which party they would like to see in control of the State Assembly after the November election, 46% said Republican and 40% say Democratic.

Today, Assemblyman Alex DeCroce issued the following statement condemning Congressman Frank Pallone's inappropriate politicization of his Congressional committee oversight:

The Republican legislative leadership this morning put pressure on the Election Law Enforcement Commission (ELEC) to keep the first gubernatorial debate scheduled for October 1.  

“The people of this State deserve to start hearing the candidates discuss major issues well in advance of the general election,” wrote Senate Minority Leader Tom Kean Jr. (R-Westfield) and Assembly Minority Leader Alex DeCroce (R-Parsippany) in a letter to ELEC Chairwoman Jerry Fitzgerald English.  “A delay will reduce the impact and importance of the debate by placing it closer to major sporting events and placing it so close to the actual election that there will be little time to address issues that may arise in the course of the debate.

The leaders called Corzine’s request to hold the debate at a later date “an effort to obscure meaningful discussion of our State’s serious problems and the approaches to dealing with them.”

LETTER TO ELEC FROM REPUBLICAN LEADERS