wendy sturgeon

LG candidate state Sen. Loretta Weinberg (D-Teaneck), right, tonight in Hamilton with Council candidate Wendy Sturgeon.

HAMILTON - Likening last week's Monmouth University lieutenant governor's debate to the Jerry Springer Show, state Sen. Loretta Weinberg (D-Teaneck) stumped for Hamilton Council candidate Wendy Sturgeon at Padrino's this evening, unapologetically reiterating that if people think she's being partisan by bashing former President George W. Bush, they're not honsetly assessing the reach of the damage his policies wrought.

Or the natural Christie connection.

"They booed me at the so-called debate the other night," Weinberg, standing beside Sturgeon, told a small crowd of Mercer County Democrats packed into this Italian ristorante on Kuser Road. "But it was the Bush policies of cutting taxes for the wealthy that got us into this mess. It was George Bush who voted against the Family Care Program, which Barack Obama reinstated."

GOP gubernatorial candidate Chris Christie fundraised for Bush for the Texan's 2000 presidential campaign.

A Democratic candidate for Hamilton Councilwoman who worked for a non-profit slammed by the state Comptroller says her job was to write press releases and place advertisements and said she played no role in the misuse of funds for cruises, dinners in Atlantic City, and a trip to Florida.

In a statement released today, Wendy Sturgeon says that her role with the Hamilton-based Allies, Inc. did not involve decision making at the management level.  Sturgeon was the Director of Marketing and Public Relations from 2007 to 2009.

"Because my role with Allies did not entail involvement in the planning, budgeting, or decision making at the management level for the activities mentioned in the Comptroller's report, I had no knowledge of the alleged wasteful spending or irresponsible disbursements he has alleged to have occurred," said Sturgeon, who told PolitickerNJ.com that she first learned of the state Comptroller's investigation when she read a newspaper report.

"I am saddened and angry to learn of allegations that clients that I advocated for may have had funds diverted away from their care," Sturgeon said.  "I was committed to my job of furthering the success of Allies through public relations and marketing."

Gov. Jon Corzine's administration is causing some angst among Mercer County Democrats who are worried about how a report detailing wasteful spending by Allies Inc. will affect their campaign.  The report, issued this week by state Comptroller Matthew Boxer, says that the New Jersey Division of Developmental Disabilities overpaid contractors by more than $1.4 million.

Allies Inc., was paid $111,851 to cover the cost of two cruises, $2,690 to pay for dinner at the Cuba Libre Restaurant & Rum Bar at the Tropicana casino in Atlantic City, and $1,345 for a trip to Lake Buena Vista, Florida.

The problem for the Democrats is that one of the Democratic candidates for Hamilton Township Council, Wendy Sturgeon, was the Director of Marketing and Public Relations at Allies during the time the wasteful spending took place.  Sturgeon's own profile posted on the LinkedIn.com website takes credit for the kind of events Boxer has criticized.  Expect Republicans to make that an issue in the fall campaign, and watch Democrats distance themselves from Sturgeon.