Dannielle Leigh

For Immediate Release
12/22/2006

Contact: Dannielle Leigh 973-890-9004

Teaneck, NJ – In the span of two weeks, Senator Loretta Weinberg held two fundraising events that netted her over $100,000 towards her bid to retain her 37th District Senate seat. On December 13, 2006, Assembly Majority Leader Bonnie Watson Coleman headlined an event celebrating women in politics. Over one hundred men and women attended the successful event.

On December 21, 2006, national fundraiser, Orin Kramer, hosted a private dinner event at his home. With the help of dinner guest Governor Corzine, this event was a financial and political success, counting Congressman Steve Rothman among its attendees.

Spokesperson Dannielle Leigh stated, “These events again show that Senator Weinberg has the mandate to return to the Senate and that she has friends who will stand up with her. She appreciates the support they have shown and looks forward to continuing to fight on the important issues in her next term.�

Senator Weinberg is looking forward to continuing her successful fundraising efforts at her annual “Birthday Bash� to be held on February 12, 2007.

The Star-Ledger has reported that a federal grand jury reportedly investigating a lease arrangement between U.S. Senator Robert Menendez and the Hudson Community Action Corp. has subpoenaed former Menendez fundraiser Dannielle Leigh to testify.

After leaving the Menendez campaign last March following an internal dispute, Leigh opened up her own political fundraising firm and signed up Congressman Steven Rothman and State Senator Loretta Weinberg as clients. Rothman, sources say, was aware of the subpoena when he terminated Leigh's contract last month. He was also upset by Leigh's attendance at a fundraiser for former New York City Mayor Rudy Giuliani, where GOP U.S. Senate candidate Thomas Kean, Jr. was also in attendance. The Kean campaign told PoliticsNJ.com earlier this year that Leigh had contacted them several times after her departure from the Menendez camp.

Weinberg says that Leigh is still raising money for her 2007 re-election bid.

On the day she resigned as Finance Director of Bob Menendez's U.S. Senate campaign, Dannielle Leigh received two checks totalling $19,619. Leigh was making about $56,000 a year as a fundraiser, first for Menendez's House campaign and political action committee, and then for his Senate bid. "It was a combination of bonuses she was owed for fundraising targets the campaign hit while she was finance director, as well as comp time she had accrued," a Menendez spokesman explained. The payments to Leigh, who did not receive a bonus in 2005, was listed as a payroll expense.