Letters were sent to the attorney general, U.S. attorney, asking to look into reports of group being a GOP-controlled entity designed to skirt campaign-finance laws
State Sen. Loretta Weinberg (D-Bergen) in this September 2010 file photo. Weinberg has sent letters to Attorney General Paula Dow and U.S. Attorney Paul Fishman, asking them to investigate Reform Jersey Now.TRENTON — A Democratic state senator is calling for state and federal investigations of Reform Jersey Now, a nonprofit organization that pushed Gov. Chris Christie’s legislative agenda and was tied to some of the governor’s closest advisers.
State Sen. Loretta Weinberg (D-Bergen) today wrote to Attorney General Paula Dow and U.S. Attorney Paul Fishman, asking them to investigate the organization because “recent reports suggest it is a Republican-controlled entity which is designed to circumvent campaign finance and pay-to-play laws.”
“Although Reform Jersey Now claims to be an issue-advocacy organization under section 501(c)(4) of the Internal Revenue Code, the entity’s leadership seemingly demonstrates that it is an arm of the Republican Party and perhaps the current gubernatorial administration,” Weinberg wrote. “As a 501(c)(4) entity, Reform Jersey Now has structured itself in a deliberate attempt to evade legitimate campaign contribution restrictions and collect back door contributions for Republican interests.”
The organization, which launched in June and is organized as a nonprofit group under the federal tax code, raised almost $624,000. It released the names of its donors and the amounts they gave last week, then ceased operation.
Among the donors were construction firms and law firms with major state contracts. For instance, in joint ventures with two other companies, Ferreira Construction, which donated $25,000, was awarded $174 million in competitively bid contracts in April and June by the New Jersey Turnpike Authority.
The state's pay-to-play law, designed to avoid awarding of contracts in exchange for political contributions, bars companies with more than $17,500 in state contracts from giving more than $300 to candidates for governor and political parties.
The group’s volunteer advisory board includes Christie confidante Bill Palatucci, former Republican Govs. Christie Todd Whitman and Donald DiFrancesco, and Republican fundraiser Candace Straight. Michael DuHaime, chief strategist for Christie’s 2009 gubernatorial campaign, is its spokesman.
Weinberg said Reform Jersey Now targeted Democrats who opposed the governor’s policies, and “could have conspired to provide unlawful support for campaigns, candidates and other entities.”
"There is little doubt that by coordinating its efforts with prominent Republicans and openly soliciting contributions from contractors, Reform Jersey Now has violated the spirit of the law. The question remains, however, whether it violated the letter of the law," she said.
The group did not target districts of lawmakers who were facing special elections in 2010, and DuHaime said last week they were ceasing operations because in 2011 all 120 seats in the Legislature are up and the group chose not to do any electioneering.
DuHaime declined to comment on Weinberg’s charges.
Reform Jersey Now is considered an issues-advocacy organization and was not required under federal law to disclose its donors. But Election Law Enforcement Commission Executive Director Jeffrey Brindle said it may have qualified as a grassroots lobbying organization, in which case it would have had to disclose its donors to the state in February.
“I can’t speak specifically about this particular organization, but that’s generally how it works," he said.