ROBERTS URGES ELEC TO ALLOW CLEAN CANDIDATES TO ACCEPT LOWER SPENDING THRESHOLDS

Speaker Says Program Should Protect Public Against Potential 'Sticker Shock'

(TRENTON) - Assembly Speaker Joseph J. Roberts Jr. today said the state Election Law Enforcement Commission (ELEC) should allow candidates participating in the state's Clean Elections pilot program to voluntarily accept lesser amounts of public financing than were approved by the commission this morning.

TAXPAYERS PAY FOR MAYOR'S MAILING

State Senator Wayne Bryant has $593,283 in his campaign warchest, according to his most recent report filed with the New Jersey Election Law Enforcement Commission in July. Hypothetically, if Bryant was not a candidate for re-election to the Senate in 2007, state law permits a rather wide range of uses for leftover campaign funds. For example, after former Essex County Executive Thomas D'Alessio was released from prison, he used his old campaign account to lease himself a Mercedes and pay his wife a salary.

If Sharpe James decides not to seek re-election to his 29th district State Senate seat next year, he would not have to use his $118,066 warchest. James also has $1,231,189 in unused campaign funds raised for a 2006 re-election campaign as Mayor of Newark that he ultimately passed on.

This message appeared on the ELEC site at noon today:

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One sign that state government has already shut down: the New Jersey Election Law Enforcement Commission website is down -- again.

ROBERTS: NEW JERSEY DESERVES AN IMPROVED 'CLEAN ELECTIONS' SYSTEM

(TRENTON) -- Assembly Majority Leader Joseph J. Roberts Jr. today issued the following statement as the New Jersey Citizens' Clean Election Commission held its first meeting after the initial application of public financing in two test districts in the November general election:

BECK CAUGHT IN COVER-UP OF EFFORTS TO DEFEAT DRUNKEN DRIVING LAWS

Lobbyist Signed Multiple Public Records Detailing Her Efforts to Defeat DUI Legislation

The New Jersey Election Law Enforcement Commission ruled today that candidates failing to meet the threshold in the clean elections pilot project could return checks given to them, but that data disclosing those contributions recieved will have to be provided to study the problems with the project. This may cause some trouble for Democrats William Flynn and Michael Dasaro, who have returned checks they collected months ago, even though they were not authorized to return checks as a result of today's advisory opinion ELEC did not figure out how to retrieve contributions given electronically that were automatically deposited in the State Treasury.

'PAY TO PLAYERS' STRIKE AGAIN

ATLANTIC HIGHLANDS-During Assemblyman Steve Corodemus' 10th Annual Oktoberfest fund raiser last evening, the 'Pay-to-Players' struck again.