TRENTON — A veteran Democrat is calling on One New Jersey, a nonprofit created to combat Gov. Chris Christie, to disclose its donors. The Democrat, Sen. Loretta Weinberg of Bergen County, said she agrees with the nonprofit's mission, but says the decision to keep its contributors secret is "completely wrong and should be immediately corrected." "You have indicated that...
State Sen. Loretta Weinberg (D-Bergen) called for One New Jersey to report its contributors.TRENTON — A veteran Democrat is calling on One New Jersey, a nonprofit created to combat Gov. Chris Christie, to disclose its donors.
The Democrat, Sen. Loretta Weinberg of Bergen County, said she agrees with the nonprofit's mission, but says the decision to keep its contributors secret is "completely wrong and should be immediately corrected."
"You have indicated that ONENJ is under no legal requirement, under current state or federal law, to report its contributors," Weinberg wrote in a letter to the Democratic strategists running the nonprofit. "However, just because it’s legal, doesn’t always make it ethical or in the public interest."
The creation of One New Jersey has left Democrats open to charges of hypocrisy, since several assailed Christie's association with Reform Jersey Now, an organization created to support the governor's agenda.
Both groups are 501(c)(4) issue-advocacy organizations, and can accept unlimited contributions from corporations and individuals without disclosing their donors.
Reform Jersey Now voluntarily disclosed its contributors in December, but One New Jersey has no plans to do so.
Other Democrats have already asked the group to reveal its donors.
“I think we have to be consistent," Sen. Linda Greenstein (D-Middlesex) told PolitickerNJ. She added: “I think it’s important that they not try to circumvent campaign finance laws and that they say where their funding comes from so we know a little bit about the group.”
Joshua Henne, a spokesman for One New Jersey, did not immediately return a message seeking comment.
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