Why are campaign contribution reports important? Just look at the allegations surrounding Ex-Mayor Peter Cammarano.
The former mayor resigned in late July after he was arrested on allegations that he took thousands of dollars from a government informant posing as a developer, allegedly in exchange for promises to help with the man’s developments. Whether the government can prove there was any promise or not, not all of the money was reported on Cammarano’s New Jersey Election Law Enforcement Commission (ELEC) sheets. Also, accepting cash for a campaign is prohibited in any form.
The New Jersey Election Law Enforcement Commission requires candidates to file reports of campaign contributions at specific intervals before and after an election. That way, voters can see where the money is coming from, and how much.
But what is the punishment for politicians filing those sheets late, or not at all?
According to Hoboken’s People for Open Government (POG), enforcement of the law is weak.
Fine, or stern letter
POG President Eric Kurta, a Hoboken activist, said last week that the worst a candidate will likely see is a “sternly worded letter months or years after an election is over.” At the worst, candidates see a fine.
In August, ELEC fined former Hudson County Freeholder Maurice Fitzgibbons $2,100 for handing in his filings a year late…but the fine was doled out four years after his election.
“At that point, he was already out of office,” Kurta said, noting that the state commission is severely understaffed.
All three of the top vote-getters in Hoboken’s mayoral election in May – Cammarano, Dawn Zimmer, and Beth Mason – were late filing their post-election reports that were due June 1.
In fact, Mason just filed her report in September – four months after the election. (Zimmer and Cammarano were the top two vote-getters and entered a runoff in June.)
Zimmer’s ELEC reports were filed a month late.
Kurta doesn’t see the post-election reports as egregious slights to the system, though; he said voters more importantly need to know who’s funding the candidate before they cast their ballots.
“Up until the municipal election – with the exception of Cammarano – everybody was pretty much on schedule,” Kurta said.
Post-election lateness? “I think the campaigns were in such disarray that they just couldn’t get it together,” he said. “Nobody’s getting points for punctuality.”
Kurta said the public has the right to see the forms so they know who is funding a candidate.
“Are they favored by developers? Are they favored by local business? Are they supported by their neighbors?” Kurta asked. “Making contributions publically available informs the public where the candidate support is coming from.”
Now Hoboken has a new election coming up. Candidates’ ELEC reports for the Nov. 3 mayoral race are due Oct. 5 (29 days prior), Oct. 23 (11 days prior), and Nov. 23 (20 days afterward). Therefore, if the eight candidates file on time, voters will be able to see in as little as a week from now just who supported them early on.
To view the reports or learn more about contribution limits, visit www.elec.state.nj.us.
Timothy J. Carroll may be reached at tcarroll@hudsonreporter.com.