HOBOKEN — Councilwoman Beth Mason and three council slatemates from her 2009 mayoral campaign have paid a total of $37,160 in fines resulting from violations of state election law, according to decisions issued by the New Jersey Election Law Enforcement Commission (ELEC) on Jan. 7. The fines arose from complaints over unfiled reports, late reports, and late filing of contribution and expenditure information in the 2009 and 2011 election cycles.
As a result of violations surrounding the 2009 mayoral election, in which Mason was defeated by Peter Cammarano, Mason, her City Council slatemates Raul Morales, Anthony Pasquale, and Vincent Addeo, and their campaign treasurers jointly paid $27,760. The fine was reduced from an initial sum of $34,700 when Mason and company paid on Dec. 15, in advance of the issuance of the final decision.
Mason and her husband Richard Mason, who served as her campaign treasurer, also paid $9,400 for
violations during Mason’s 2011 City Council re-election campaign.
As a caveat of the consent orders and decisions, Mason and her colleagues did not admit guilt in the violations.
An ELEC representative told NJ.com that one of the fines imposed was the fifteenth largest ever imposed by the agency.
In a statement, Mason said she “worked with ELEC officials to settle the complaints in order to save taxpayer dollars, highlighting mutual concerns over the high cost of time and money.”
“Ms. Mason appreciates the valuable role that NJ ELEC plays in helping to ensure fair elections,” said Angelo Genova, a senior partner at the firm that represented Mason in the matter. “Ms. Mason is a longtime advocate of good government and will continue to advocate for public policy that makes government more open, transparent, and inclusive.”
He noted, “She has taken steps to ensure that all reports since have been filed on time and will continue to be filed on time.”
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