New Jersey

How the Elections Transparency Act’s ‘dark money’ rules benefited NJ Democrats

Published

6 months ago

November 29, 2023

Press Room

How the Elections Transparency Act’s ‘dark money’ rules benefited NJ Democrats

4-minute read

The sweeping Elections Transparency Act was sold by Trenton’s ruling Democrats as a necessary revision of New Jersey’s outdated campaign finance system.

It would beam, for the first time, the purifying light of transparency onto some of New Jersey’s dark money groups, the law’s advocates contended. Complicated “pay-to-play” laws that bedeviled contractors for years would be streamlined. And donor limits would be increased to reflect the rising costs of running elections.

But the law also had another brass-tacks purpose. It provided New Jersey’s Democrats, who hold majorities in both the Assembly and the state Senate, with significant cash to steamroll their Republican rivals. That proved enough to crush the GOP’s hopes of expanding its foothold in Trenton — and maybe regaining majority control — after spending two decades on the sidelines of power.

The Democratic Party enjoyed a lopsided advantage in most of the six competitive contests that dominated each party’s fundraising and attention this fall, according to an examination of election filings released this week by the New Jersey Election Law Enforcement Commission. Campaigns are required to submit reports 20 days after the election.

NJ Democrats reaped dividends — and then some

It was an investment that yielded an important dividend for the Democrats, who had entered the fall contest concerned that their long hold on power was beginning to ebb or, worse, could be washed away in a Republican wave. It didn’t happen.

Instead of losing ground, the Democrats expanded their control of the Assembly by flipping six seats, while holding their 10-seat margin in the state Senate. In six of the most hotly contested races — which drew most of each party’s money and focus — the Democratic candidates and their accounts poured close to $11 million into the contests, compared with about $4 million by Republicans, records show.

That does not include millions more spent by super PACs and other independent expenditure groups, which raise money under looser guidelines and are not permitted to coordinate with the candidates’ campaigns. A summary of outside spending is expected to be released by ELEC later this week.

But the outside spending role — which included the financing of phony “phantom candidates” linked to the South Jersey Democratic Party machine — more than likely tilted the Democrats’ advantage even further.

‘Dark money’: Disputed election overhaul bill that would expose donors passes NJ Legislature

An unsurprising edge

To some, the Democratic edge comes as no surprise.

The new Elections Transparency Act allowed for the doubling of campaign contributions for individual candidates and the tripling of large donations to state and county party accounts. That alone, some observers said, made it inevitable that the party that controls both houses of the Legislature and the governor’s office would reap the windfall. It’s the party that controls the fate of coveted legislation and lucrative government contracts.

“Some of the senators were saying, ‘Well, look, this will help us; we’ll be able to raise money throughout the four years,’ ” said Senate Republican leader Anthony Bucco Jr. of Morris County, who voted against the Elections Transparency Act for a variety of reasons. “To me, it was absolutely clear that this was not going to benefit Republicans. It was going to benefit the Democrats, because they’re the party in power.”

And with that money comes the ability to saturate mailboxes and media markets with political advertising and drown out campaigns with lesser means. That was the case in the competitive 11th Legislative District in Monmouth, where state Sen. Vin Gopal was viewed as the most endangered Democrat.

Charlie Stile: Dark money disclosures in NJ elections are a ‘work in progress.’ Will they work?

Gopal hung on to his seat in the 2021 contest while his two Assembly running mates lost. This time, Gopal found himself in the cross-currents of culture war issues. Several Monmouth County school systems (although outside his own district) were engulfed in a firestorm over “parental rights” involving transgender students while opponents of Gov. Phil Murphy’s push to build offshore wind farms had also infuriated many Jersey Shore residents.

Gopal, whose district includes Asbury Park and Long Branch, distanced himself from both of those issues. But he also had a full Democratic Party effort behind him, including unions, independent attack ads from a group aligned with state Senate President Nick Scutari, and a lopsided fundraising advantage.

Gopal and his Assembly running mates, Luanne Peterpaul and Margie Donlon, amassed $3.7 million compared with $739,000 raised by Republican state Senate challenger Steve Dnistrian and GOP Assembly incumbents Marilyn Piperno and Kim Eulner. In the end, Gopal won by 16 points and swept in Peterpaul and Donlon on his coattails.

GOP ‘ran out of juice’ as labor donations surged

Ironically, it seemed over the summer that the fury over parental rights, which Republicans sought to harness, was looming as a frightening threat to Democrats. Some feared that it had the ability to attract moderate Democrats and independents and older voters, who tend to have a larger presence in low-turnout elections. But in the end, the Republicans simply didn’t have enough money to communicate for the long haul of the race.

Republicans “ran out of juice,” said Micah Rasmussen, director of the Rebovich Institute for New Jersey Politics at Rider University. “They couldn’t drive that message through the fall. And the Democrats knew they were gonna pour it on and the Republicans wouldn’t be able to.”

Unions — already generous donors to free-wheeling super PACs and big spenders in their own right — took advantage of the Elections Transparency Act, which doubled what unions could give directly to candidates, from $2,600 to $5,200, and through their PACs, from $8,200 to $16,400.

Labor’s increased largesse, not surprisingly, benefited the Democrats.

Gopal collected the maximum $16,400 from several union PACs: Greater New Jersey Carpenters, International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers 456 and 269, the New Jersey Laborers, and IBEW Local 400, State Electrical Workers, where Gopal is a member. Gopal’s ticket also benefited from the get-out-the-vote manpower of the Service Employees International Union, which bused in canvassers from their locals in New York.

In the 3rd Legislative District, in Salem, Gloucester and Cumberland counties, state Sen.-elect John Burzichelli, D-Paulsboro, drew $127,000 from unions and union PACs — or $35,800 more than he could have collected under the previous lower limits.

A day after the election, Scutari hailed the Elections Transparency Act “because we saw more transparency than we ever saw before in terms of fundraising.” He was referring specifically to the provisions that required independent expenditure groups to disclose donations of $7,500 or more.

But the early reports this week on the election also make it clear that the new law gave his party an enormous advantage and one that will keep it in power for the next two years — and possibly many more election cycles to come.

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New Jersey

Evaluating every New Jersey Devils mock draft on the internet

Published

5 hours ago

May 29, 2024

Press Room

Evaluating every New Jersey Devils mock draft on the internet

The New Jersey Devils did not see their pick in the NHL Draft move during the NHL Draft Lottery, so the will pick 10th if they don’t decide to move the pick in a trade. This is one of the strangest drafts in a long time. While many analysts have said this isn’t the best draft in terms of talent, it seems like there are 14 players these analysts are talking themselves into.

The Devils might get a great player at 10. There is no consensus player available with the second-overall pick. That is why the top 10 is going to be so much fun to watch. Anyone could be available at any time, and anyone could be gone at any time. The Devils could get a huge star or they could be stuck with their favorite players off the board. So, let’s take a look at the predictions for who the Devils are going to take at 10th overall.

The Athletic put its two best prospect writers, Corey Pronman and Scott Wheeler, on the task of drafting the first two rounds. They made an interesting choice. Cole Eiserman and Konsta Helenius were both available, but Wheeler chose Beckett Sennecke. The right winger has the size and strength the Devils will want, and as we profiled in our profile of Sennecke, he has rocketed up draft boards. We’ve seen those players succeed in the past. Sennecke is a risk because of his late-bloomer status, but it’s hard to find someone who is 6’2 with that much skill.

The New Jersey Devils have gone after the Spokane Chiefs in the first round before, but it didn’t exactly work. Ty Smith had a really good start to his career, but a switch flipped and he wasn’t very good after that rookie year in the NHL. Anyway, we can’t cry over that spilled milk. Friend of this blog Alex Chauvancy chose Chiefs’ center Berlky Catton. He also had a chance to take Eiserman, but he went with the center. Catton had 54 goals this season. He’s a smaller forward and might have to move to wing in the NHL, but his skill is undeniable.

Ah, we finally found someone who took the incredibly skilled Cole Eiserman out of the United States National Development Team Program. He’s here breaking or coming close to breaking records for the USNDTP. He is an incredibly talented player, but some question his motor and his motivation. Still, Steven Ellis can’t get past how great Eiserman would look next to Jack Hughes. He thinks this would have the same impact that Cole Caufield had on Hughes back when they were both with the USNDTP. If Hughes can finally find his winger that makes his one of the greats, the Devils have to take that at 10th overall.

We finally found someone bold enough to give the Devils a defenseman. This is a very interesting defensive draft. There is zero consensus about who goes where. Maybe Zeev Buium falls to 10 like Sam Cosentino is predicting, and maybe the Devils can’t deny his talent. The Devils already have young defensemen in Luke Hughes, Simon Nemec, Kevin Bahl, Seamus Casey, and a long list of others. Will the Devils really use another pick on a defenseman? If the talent dictates it, then they will.

The New Jersey Devils could take a completely different defenseman who could fall in the draft. Sam Dickinson is huge, showcasing the size and impact the Devils have been prioritizing as of late. His skating is immaculate, which is another thing the Devils have and will continue to prioritize. Lyle Richardson also points out that Dickinson is left-handed, which means he would fill a need amongst the Devils prospect pool.

Last but not least, we go back to Pucks and Pitchforks to see who Todd Matthews believes the Devils will take. Cayden Lindstrom is as dynamic a player with his kind of size. Will Lindstrom fall to 10? We can’t stress enough how anything outside Macklin Celebrini falling past one can happen in this draft. Lindstrom could absolutely fall to 10, and we think Fitzgerald would run to the podium to make this pick. He can play center or wing, so the Devils could either use him as their glue guy or as a dynamic option on the top line. It would be a time for celebration if the Devils can take Lindstrom.

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New Jersey

Photos/Review: Stabbing rip through New Jersey – 5/22/2024

Published

12 hours ago

May 28, 2024

Press Room

Photos/Review: Stabbing rip through New Jersey – 5/22/2024

As one of the few bands to meaningfully push the envelope of just how “brutal” death metal can be, Stabbing make up for a complete absence of any melodic elements in their music with utterly extreme blasts, filthy vocals, and chromatic slam riffs. 2023’s debut full-length Extirpated Mortal Process saw the band fully realize their brand of pure brutal death metal depravity and solidified their reputation in the underground metal scene as a band to watch.

It’s no surprise that only 24 hours before this show, the band announced that they’ve been signed to Century Media, joining the ranks of the scene’s biggest contemporary death metal acts including Sanguisugabogg, Frozen Soul, and Vomit Forth. Rolling through New Jersey in a string of dates between Milwaukee Metalfest and Maryland Deathfest, Stabbing stops at Clifton, NJ for a night of chaos, playing to a crowd with absolutely zero regard for their own self-preservation in the pit. This short run feels special (and somewhat dangerous as the venue lacks any sort of security to keep the pit contained), watching a band on the precipice of blowing up. With support from local favorites Final Girls and fellow Jersey bands Ways to the Grave and World Eater, this was one of the best shows I’ve seen in 2024.

World Eater, a metal band seemingly born from the ashes of a Magic: The Gathering deck, kicks off the night strong. Frontman Ed Pacella is an absolute force – his death growl and endless parade around the stage draw you in, but the riffs keep you hooked. I struggle to grasp that they’re still relative newcomers to the scene – though some members have played in other groups in the past, this combination of members seems like the winning formula. World Eater blurs the line between familiar and modern with a sound that’s equal parts Bolt Thrower and a thousand screams into an endless void of cosmic horror. Ripping solos and more melodic riffing separate them sonically from the rest of the bands tonight, yet they fit right in with this lineup.

World Eater
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Moving into more progressive territory is Ways to the Grave, the second band of the night. If you close your eyes, it’s easy to forget that some of these kids aren’t quite old enough to order a drink at the venue, playing at a level way beyond their years. Despite the longer songs, there’s meaningful commercial appeal in the way they infuse elements of popular death metal with prog-leaning tendencies. Watching this band refine bits of their performance and presentation over the past few months, their relentless gigging will smooth out any inconsistencies in time, and make them a band to watch.

Ways to the Grave

If you need to fill a room in New Jersey, you book Final Girls – it’s a Wednesday night but the Final Girls fans still come out in full force and dress to the nines, Their brand of horror-infused death metal puts them on top of the local scene, and probably the next band in the area to start making serious moves. Unveiling a new setlist tonight and largely moving beyond the songs first introduced on their EP, Final Girls were in top form. Watching Sofia DeMasi behind the kit is always a highlight, and Casey Cruz continues to escalate their stage show to new extremes. Despite some gear hiccups, Ashleigh Hernandez and Sofia Albanese kept the show moving with grace.

Final Girls

And finally, Stabbing took the stage. It’s a lot like watching a bomb go off in front of you. Their 40-minute set was completely unrelenting – no reprieve from the brutal riffs and endless gutturals; there are no slow (or even mid-paced) songs in their catalog to give your body a break from the pit that never closes. At the center of everything is vocalist Bridget Lynch and guitarist Marvin Ruiz. Lynch is simply one of the most consistent brutal death metal vocalists I’ve ever witnessed, never missing a beat, never faltering or wavering in her delivery. Despite being a one-guitar band, Ruiz absolutely flooded the roof with his precise riffing and grooves. The rhythm section was no less impressive, perfectly in time and locked in like a well-oiled machine. Stabbing is easily one of the best live bands on the circuit right now and for a good reason. The venue flooded their set with red light – very appropriate – but every member of the band was mesmerizing to watch. We might not be ready for whatever Stabbing decides to do next – and there’s nowhere for them to go but up.

Stabbing

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New Jersey

Sheldon Keefe Press Conference | LIVE | New Jersey Devils

Published

19 hours ago

May 28, 2024

Press Room

Sheldon Keefe Press Conference | LIVE | New Jersey Devils

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