TRENTON — Private donors are helping Republicans bankroll their efforts to revise political maps that could determine which party controls the Legislature and the New Jersey delegation in the U.S. House of Representatives over the next decade, but the public may never know who they are. Democrats say that accepting donations through the Center for a Better New Jersey,...
Governor Chris Christie delivers his State of the State address in the Assembly Chamber of the State House in this 1/11/11 photo.TRENTON — Private donors are helping Republicans bankroll their efforts to revise political maps that could determine which party controls the Legislature and the New Jersey delegation in the U.S. House of Representatives over the next decade, but the public may never know who they are.
Democrats say that accepting donations through the Center for a Better New Jersey, an outside group not legally bound to disclose its contributors, the GOP is skirting New Jersey’s pay-to-play law, which limits political contributions from those doing business with the state. Republicans say they are doing nothing improper.
A similar group called Reform Jersey Now raised $624,000 to fund ad campaigns that pitched Republican Gov. Chris Christie’s legislative initiatives. When the group voluntarily disclosed its donors, it was revealed that some were firms that hold hundreds of millions of dollars in state contracts.
Republicans are revealing few details about the Center for a Better New Jersey.
"The Center for a Better New Jersey is a not-for-profit entity created to ensure the adoption of a fair and constitutional map. It is designed to allow for greater public participation in the redistricting process," said Senate Minority Leader Tom Kean Jr. (R-Union). "It acts as a resource for individuals and groups who wish to see a fair and constitutional map that will return New Jersey to fiscal responsibility."
Kean would not say whether the organization will publicly disclose its donors, only saying it will "fully comply with all reporting and disclosure laws."
Democrats say the group’s existence raises questions about whether private donors with public contracts are seeking to help Republicans in one of the most important political processes of the decade.
"We ought to know who’s paying for the map," said Democratic State Chairman John Wisniewski, an Assemblyman from Middlesex County. "Are they paying because this will inure to their benefit when decisions are being made on contracts at a state level? Trying to create a map that favors (Republicans) is an important political agenda item for them and the governor, so clearly they’re going to be soliciting people to help them, and if you help them, it raises the specter of, what’s their agenda?"
Every 10 years, the state redraws its legislative and congressional districts after receiving Census data from the federal government — a highly political process that usually results in pitched battles. Democrats hold a majority in both houses of the Legislature and seven of the state’s 13 U.S. House seats. Republicans hope to draw a map that will give them a better shot at winning the Legislature in November, when all 120 seats are up for election. The battle over the congressional map is expected to be fierce because New Jersey is losing a seat and one district will disappear.
The state is expected to pay up to $1.5 million for the legislative redistricting effort and an undetermined amount for congressional map-making. The money, doled out equally to the parties, is spent on staff and experts to draw possible legislative district maps and analyze their constitutionality.
Republicans say they are raising funds for extra cash to bolster their effort.
Mark Sheridan, a Republican lawyer who is being paid by the fundraising group, would not rule out using these funds to pay for expected legal challenges once a map is made.
Wisniewski, the Democratic chairman, said his party plans to rely exclusively on public funds and will not seek help from outside groups — as long as the state budgets a reasonable amount for redistricting.
The Republicans’ fundraising group can accept unlimited donations from individuals and businesses. Republicans describe it as a think tank for drawing new district maps and giving interest groups a resource to draw their own.
Sheridan said the group is soliciting donations through mailers and plans to host fundraisers. He said both parties have set up similar groups for redistricting efforts in other states.
Harry Pozycki, who chairs the Citizens Campaign, an ethics group, didn’t find much fault with it not disclosing its donors, in part because lawmakers do not sign off on state contracts. "Personally, I don’t see the relevance from a pay-to-play point of view," he said.
But William Schluter, a former Republican state senator who authored the state’s first campaign finance law and lost his seat to redistricting 10 years ago, said political parties and the governor both have an interest in the outcome of the process and donors should be disclosed.
"I think a political party should be able to raise money and finance a thing like that," said Schluter. "Disclosure is everything."