Assemblywoman Dawn Addiego (R-Evesham) said yesterday that she was “very proud of” her district’s state senator, Phil Haines (R-Springfield), for declining Gov. Jon Corzine’s nomination to a superior court judgeship last month.

“It was the right thing to do, and I think it sends a message,” said Addiego. “It’s a message that everyone’s not willing to play the political game.”

But Democrats think it is Haines and the Burlington County Republicans who are playing political games.  Although Haines said he declined the nomination on the grounds that he disagreed with Corzine’s lame duck push through of hundreds of appointees and nominees, Democrats argued that Burlington County Republicans merely wanted to avoid a special election for Haines’ seat.

Addiego disagreed.

The Courier-Post has endorsed freshman GOP incumbents Dawn Addiego and Scott Rudder for re-election in the 8th district, but praised the Democratic challengers, Scott Brown and Debbie Sarcone, as being up to the job.

8th District Legislators Earned Perfect Scores for Being ‘Most Vigorous Defenders of the Taxpayer’

Senator Phil Haines, Assemblywoman Dawn Marie Addiego and Assemblyman Scott Rudder all earned 100 percent grades and were named “Taxpayer Champions” when the New Jersey Taxpayers Alliance released its 2009 Taxpayers Legislative scorecard this week.

“The Taxpayers Alliance confirms our commitment to protecting the interests of taxpayers and assuring that tax money is spent responsibly and transparently,” said Assemblywoman Addiego. “New Jerseyans are fed up with Governor Corzine’s propensity to spend money and increase taxes and fees.”

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Brown and Sarcone Denounce Intimidation, Assault by Medford GOP Boss;
Demand Rudder and Addiego Call for Madosky's Resignation

(8th Legislative District) – Denouncing the strong-armed political tactics that attempted to prevent them from communicating with voters this past weekend, Democratic Assembly candidates Bill Brown and Deb Sarcone today called for a formal investigation into what they characterized as “blatant abuse of power, physical assault and intimidation” from Medford Republican Chairman Steve Madosky

The United States Attorney’s Office and State Attorney General’s Office prefer that the Assembly does not start expulsion proceedings against its members who were recently indicted or arrested on corruption charges, according to Assembly Speaker Joseph Roberts (D-Camden).  

“As you know, prior to any expulsion hearings, Rule 7:6 requires that the committee ‘serve written charges on the member, provide an opportunity for the member to be heard, to present witnesses, testimony and other evidence, to cross examine witnesses and to be represented by counsel,’” wrote Roberts (D-Camden) to Assembly members Dawn Marie Addiego (R-Evesham) and  Scott Rudder (R-Medford), who had requested in an August 1 letter that Roberts call an emergency legislative session to begin the process.   

“Given that our rules would require the formation of a parallel investigation to the ongoing criminal inquiry, I immediately consulted with the State Attorney General and the United States Attorney concerning the expulsion of these members and the due process proceeding required by our rules.  They advised that moving forward with the expulsion proceedings could significantly threaten their ongoing criminal investigation of these members and conveyed to me their strong inclination that I not move forward with any proceeding that could in any way hamper their investigation.”

In response to yesterday's public hearing in which Lumberton's Republican Administrator Dan Van Pelt was fired for his arrest as part of the latest corruption scandal sweeping the Garden State, Bill Brown and Debbie Sarcone today called for immediate legislation to change the statute allowing Van Pelt to collect 90 days of taxpayer funded salary.

Two Assembly Republicans are donating a $500 contribution they received in 2007 from the campaign account of Assemblyman Daniel Van Pelt (R-Ocean) to charity.  Van Pelt was arrested yesterday on federal corruption charges.

Dawn Addiego (R-Evesham) and Scott Rudder (R-Medford) said they would give the funds to the Yellow Ribbon Club, which promotes welcome home events for U.S. soldiers and contributes to U.S. military hospitals.

"The last thing we wanted to do is return this money directly to Mr. Van Pelt's campaign account and then watch him attempt to use it for his legal defense fund like (State Sen.) Wayne Bryant tried to do in his corruption trial," said Rudder.  "It is our hope that by making this donation we can directly help soldiers and their families, and find some silver lining in an otherwise very dark day in New Jersey."

Addiego and Rudder have not said if they were asking the Republican-controlled Lumberton Township Committee, which is in their district, to fire Van Pelt as their Township Administrator.

Assemblywoman Dawn Marie Addiego and Assemblyman Scott Rudder today vowed to work tirelessly in support of their immigration reform package after a grand jury failed to indict an illegal immigrant and unlicensed driver in the accident that killed a 27-year-old Evesham teacher.

Assemblywoman Dawn Marie Addiego and Assemblyman Scott Rudder are calling on Attorney General Anne Milgram to appropriate federal stimulus money to Burlington County municipalities to combat gang activity and rising crime.

State Sen. Philip Haines (R-Springfield) is under active consideration for appointment as a Superior Court Judge, sources say, a move that could force a special election for his State Senate seat as early as this November. 

Haines, 58, served as a Burlington County Freeholder and County Clerk before winning an open State Senate seat in 2007.  The appointment, which would be made by Gov. Jon Corzine, is not subject to senatorial courtesy and would likely win swift approval.  Because the mandatory retirement age is 70, new Judges are typically not appointed after age 60.

Possible successors to Haines include: retiring Freeholder William Haines (who is not related to the Senator), Assemblywoman Dawn Addiego (R-Evesham), Assemblyman Scott Rudder (R-Medford), and former Medford Mayor Christopher Myers, who won 48% of the vote in his 2008 race for Congress against Democrat John Adler.  South Jersey Democrats are already mounting a serious challenge to Addiego and Rudder, who are freshman legislators.