DeCROCE ACCUSES FOUR ASSEMBLY DEMOCRATS OF VIOLATING STATE ETHICS LAW & REGULATIONS

SAYS VAN DREW, ALBANO, BODINE AND WHELAN HAVE USED STATE WORKERS AND RESOURCES FOR CAMPAIGN ACTIVITIES

Assembly Republican Leader Alex DeCroce today demanded an investigation by the Legislature’s Joint Committee on Ethical Standards that four Assembly Democrats used partisan staff, district office employees or state resources to further their campaign activities and those of their running mates. 

DeCroce said the evidence against Assemblymen Jeff Van Drew, Nelson Albano, Fran Bodine and Jim Whalen suggests that these ethics violations may be a coordinated effort and part of a pattern of abuse practiced by Democrats across the state. 

The ethics violations were outlined by DeCroce in a letter to Herbert S. Friend, the acting chairman of the joint committee, supported by exhibits and a certified statement signed by a district office employee. A copy of the letter and supporting material were also sent to Albert Porroni, legislative counsel for the joint committee.

DeCroce said the activities of the assemblymen are a “misuse of public resources” and violate the Conflict of Interest Law, the Legislative Code of Ethics and the Joint Rules of the Senate and General Assembly.

“It galls me that the very same people who are pretending to be ‘ethics reformers’ refuse to obey the rules we have now,” asserted DeCroce, R-Morris and Passaic.

Van Drew and Albano are accused of sending voters a campaign mailer that includes the name of Assembly candidate and running mate Matt Milam and directing recipients to call “our office” if they did not receive a property tax rebate check. The telephone number listed on the mail piece was for the legislative office of Van Drew and Albano, not their campaign headquarters.

DeCroce said it is clear Van Drew and Albano “are utilizing their district office for the purpose of fielding calls in connection with campaign activity not only on their behalf, but on behalf of an individual who is not a member of the Legislature. This is a blatant violation of Conflict of Interest Law, the Legislature’s Code of Ethics and the joint rules.”

Two mail pieces sent to members of  the general public on behalf of Assemblyman Whelan, who is running for the State Senate, and his two running mates, Assembly candidates Blondell Spellman and Joe Wilkins, instructed recipients that “[i]f you need help applying for your property tax rebate, please fill out the form on the other side and mail it to us...” (emphasis added). The third mailing invites the recipient to contact Assemblyman Whelan and Assembly candidates Wilkins and Spellman regarding internet safety. The return mailing address for these mail pieces is 511 Tilton Road, the district office of Assemblyman Whelan.

“Whelan is using his district office as a repository to handle responses to campaign literature sent on his behalf and that of his running mates – a patent violation of the law, our ethics code and our joint rules,” DeCroce said.

Constituent mailings from Assemblyman Bodine have asked recipients to fill out an attached form and mail it to 3000 Midlantic Drive, Suite 103, Mt. Laurel, NJ 08504, the address of his district office.

DeCroce received a certified statement from a district office staff member employed by Assemblyman Bodine that hundreds of these return forms have been received at the legislative office. Pursuant to the express instructions of Assemblyman Bodine, the return forms have, on more than one occasion, been packaged and hand-delivered to an individual identified as Bodine’s campaign manager, according to the statement.

“I have been assured by an employee working for Assemblyman Bodine that at no time have any of the forms been processed for official use,” DeCroce said. “All the forms were processed for delivery to Assemblyman Bodine or his campaign manager. Assemblyman Bodine’s utilization of his district office and partisan staff to further his campaign is improper and violates the rules.”

DeCroce said each of actions by the four legislators “constitutes a willful misuse of partisan staff, state resources and state property in furtherance of campaign activity.”

“Is it any wonder that the same political party that has consistently blocked every effort by Assembly Republicans to enact strong new ethics reforms is so prone to breaking the rules for partisan gain?” said DeCroce.

DeCroce said the four assemblymen, and any others who are or have engaged in this manner, “must know that their actions will not be countenanced and that the joint committee will act.”

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