Wayne Bryant

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.

Now that ELEC has rejected Wayne Bryant’s request to use leftover campaign funds to pay for his legal defense, what happens to Joseph Coniglio, who has already spent $90,000 from his warchest to pay his lawyer?

The New Jersey Election Law Enforcement Commission voted 3-0 today against allowing former State Sen. Wayne Bryant to use leftover campaign funds to pay for his legal defense.  Bryant, who left office earlier this month with $650,000 remaining in his warchest, has been indicted on 20 counts of corruption.

Governor Jon Corzine will fill the Republican seat on the New Jersey Election Law Enforcement Commission “within weeks or even days,” according to his spokesman, Jim Gardner. The seat has been vacant since Corzine named Judge Theodore Davis to serve as the Chief Operating Officer of Camden in December 2006.

Earlier this week, ELEC postponed a decision on the use of campaign funds to pay attorney fees in a criminal corruption case by a 2-1 vote, with the lone Republican Commissioner voting against the postponement. Republican National Committeeman David Norcross sharply criticized Corzine for leaving the GOP seat vacant for more than a year, calling it “inexcusable.” Norcross, a former ELEC Executive Director, said the law requires the commission to be bi-partisan.

The vote by the Election Law Enforcement Commission to postpone a ruling allowing a candidate to use campaign funds for their legal defense in a criminal matter was along party lines: Democratic Commissioners Jerry English and Albert Burstein voted to postpone the issue, while Republican Commissioner Peter Tober voted no.

While state law requires ELEC to be equally divided among both political parties, Democrats have enjoyed a 2-1 majority since December 2006, when Governor Jon Corzine named one of the Republican Commissioners, retired Judge Theodore Davis to serve as the Chief Operating Officer of the City of Camden. 

Had the Republican seat been filled, it is possible that the motion to postpone the decision would have been tied at 2-2 – lacking the votes to pass.  That would have forced ELEC to act today.

The New Jersey Election Law Enforcement Commission is expected to issue an advisory opinion in about two weeks on former State Senator Wayne Bryant’s ability to use his leftover campaign funds to help finance his legal defense.  Bryant, who has about $650,000 in his warchest, has been indicted on twenty counts of official corruption.   Another former State Senator, Joseph Coniglio, has already used about $90,000 from his campaign account to pay his lawyer.  Coniglio, who is the target of a federal probe but has not been charged, dropped his bid for re-election last year. 

The New Jersey Election Law Enforcement Commission will discuss a request by former State Senator Wayne Bryant’s attorney for an advisor opinion on whether Bryant can use leftover campaign funds to pay for his legal defense.  Bryant, who left the Senate yesterday, faces a 20-count federal criminal indictment.  Bryant has nearly $650,000 in his campaign account – accrued through years of non-competitive campaigns in a safe district.

ELEC has placed the Bryant matter on its January 15 agenda.  State law requires the New Jersey Election Law Enforcement Commission to be equally divided among both political parties, but in the months preceding the 2007 general election, Democrats have a 2-1 majority. The second Republican seat has been vacant since Corzine named retired Judge Theodore Davis to serve as the Chief Operating Officer of the City of Camden in December 2006. 

There is a tiny bit irony here: legislation to eliminate the death penalty received 21 votes, the minimum need for passage in the New Jersey Senate. So the deciding votes were effectively cast by Wayne Bryant and Joseph Coniglio, both lame duck legislators with severe legal problems. Bryant has been indicted on federal corruption charges, and Coniglio is the target of a federal grand jury criminal probe.

Key South Jersey Democrats believe that they could emerge from the fall midterm elections with seven State Senate seats, giving them a formidable block if there leadership contests.  Four seats are locks: incumbents Stephen Sweeney, Frederick Madden, and John Adler, and Dana Redd, who is seeking Wayne Bryant’s seat in Camden County.   Democrats are very high on their chances to oust Republicans Nicholas Asselta and James “Sonny” McCullough, and see a possible pickup in the open eighth district, where their Senate candidate is Francis Bodine, a Republican Assemblyman until he switched parties last spring.