John Bennett

The New York Post has reported that Elliot Spitzer’s “girlfriend,” Ashley Dupre, is now in a relationship with T.J. Earle, scion of the Earle Asphalt and construction companies in Monmouth County. If that company sounds familiar, its because a recent Appellate Court case upholding the state’s pay to play law was In re Earle Asphalt. The conduit for campaign contributions that wound up preventing Earle Asphalt from receiving public contracts was former Senate Co-President John Bennett.

The Superior Court’s Appellate Division today affirmed the constitutionality of an amendment to a  law that bans state agencies from awarding contracts to companies that have donated over $300 to gubernatorial candidates and county political parties.

An amendment to the 2005 Campaign Contributions and Expenditure Reporting Act was challenged by Earle Asphalt, which had put in the lowest bid for roadwork on a section of Interstate 195.  But after the company revealed that it had donated $1,500 to the Monmouth County Republican Committee at the request of former Senate President John Bennett, its bid was rejected by the Department of Transportation. 

The New Jersey General Assembly Alumni Association – and the Marlboro Mayoral Alumni Association -- took another hit this week when Morton Salkind, who served from 1974 to 1976, pleaded guilty to tax evasion.  A Democrat, Salkind was the Mayor of Marlboro when he ran for the Legislature in a heavily Democratic district in 1973.  That was the Watergate year when Republicans lost 25 Assembly seats.  Two years later, Salkind was ousted by Republican Marie Muhler.  After his political career ended, Salkind became a real estate developer, and after moving to Secaucus, became a member of the Hudson County Improvement Authority.

The Keansburg Board of Education is under fire for a $740,000 retirement deal offered to their Superintendent of Schools, Barbara Trzeszkowski.  The state Attorney General is seeking an injunction to block Trzeskowski’s golden parachute.  If the deal winds up in court, the school board would be represented by their attorney, John Bennett, who served as Co-Senate President before a scandal caused his defeat in 2003.

Monmouth County Republican Chairman Adam Puharic is expected to resign his party post soon, according to GOP leaders who were on a conference call with him on Monday afternoon. That will trigger a special election to elect a new County Chairman. Former Senate President John Bennett, who was defeated for re-election in 2003 amidst allegations that his law firm overbilled clients, including the Township of Marlboro, is a potential candidate for the post.

Republican presidential candidate John McCain will file a slate of delegate candidates today that represents huge representation from supporters of his vanquished rivals – there are more Rudy Giuliani supporters on the ticket than early McCain backers, and the list includes some Mitt Romney backers.  None of Mike Huckabee’s state campaign leaders are running as McCain delegates, and retiring Rep. Jim Saxton, who backed Duncan Hunter, was not offered a delegate slot.

There was a fairly fierce internal battle over delegates in District 12, where State Senator Jennifer Beck and former Senate President John Bennett -- both originally Giuliani supporters – were both in competition for one Monmouth County slot.  Adam Puharic, the Monmouth GOP Chairman, picked Bennett, designating Beck for an alternate slot.

The McCain delegates:

Carmen Orechio served in the State Senate from 1974 to 1992, and was Senate President from 1982 to 1986: He's been a Nutley Commissioner since 1968Carmen Orechio is the only former Senate President who still holds public office, and is one of eight living former Senate Presidents. With the death of 98-year-old Wesley Lance last August, the 81-year-old Orechio is now the second oldest living ex-Senate President; the oldest is Frank McDermott, 83, who ran the Senate in 1969. The other living ex-Senate Presidents: Raymond Bateman, Frank Dodd, John Russo, John Lynch, Donald DiFrancesco, and John Bennett.

When PoliticsNJ.com began a journey into the world of New Jersey politics on February 1, 2000, we all lived in a different universe. Christie Whitman was midway through her second term as Governor, Republicans controlled both houses of the Legislature, 76-year-old Frank Lautenberg was retiring from the United States Senate, and some mega millionaire Wall Street guy no one ever heard of was running for his seat.

These eight years have been epic times in New Jersey politics: Jon Corzine spent $75 million to win a Senate seat; for twelve days in the summer of 2000, Bob Torricelli was an announced gubernatorial candidate; Whitman resigned as Governor to join the Bush cabinet and was replaced by Donald DiFrancesco, who dropped his own bid for Governor just four months later amidst allegations of ethical violations; Democrats outmaneuvered the GOP on legislative redistricting; Bret Schundler beat Bob Franks in the '01 gubernatorial primary; the terrorist attacks of September 11, 2001 changed the world; James E. McGreevey was elected Governor; Democrats captured control of the State Assembly - and an election night coup installed Albio Sires, not Joe Doria, as Speaker - and the Senate was tied at 20-20, leaving both parties with shared power of the upper house.

One valued reader asked for more information regarding the 84 hours that John Bennett served as the Acting Governor of New Jersey.  Two New York Times stories tell it all: