In Case You Missed It:
Courier-Post Exposes Andrews’ Quid Pro Quo

Reform candidate Dale Glading
first to demand accountability from
career politician Andrews on unethical earmark

BARRINGTON – Dale Glading, candidate for U.S. Congress in New Jersey’s 1st District, was the first to reveal Rep. Rob Andrews’ unethical earmarks, now under investigation by The Courier-Post.

According to The Star-Ledger, Rob Andrews has directed $2.27 million of our taxpayer money to the law school since 2001. (“Lautenberg campaign questions Andrews' earmarks for Rutgers”, The Star-Ledger, May 13, 2008)

In exchange, The Courier-Post exposed the fact that Rob Andrews has received $16,500 in political contributions from employees of the Rutgers University Law School since 2002 and an additional $3,250 since 2005 from Rutgers’ lobbying firm. (“Andrews cites benefits of earmarks”, The Courier-Post, June 11, 2008)

“This blatant misuse of taxpayers’ dollars is just one in a series of unethical earmarks sponsored by Mr. Andrews,” Glading challenged. “Virtually every time Rob Andrews requested federal money for a private company, that company’s lobbyists and its employees contributed to his campaigns.”

“Apparently, Mr. Andrews was far more interested in getting elected to higher office than in serving our district,” Glading alleged.

“If nothing else, Rob Andrews’ unethical earmarks have afforded Camille Andrews one thing: job security,” Glading added. “That’s job security that the citizens of his district no longer have in today’s tough economy, because Rob Andrews would rather invest more than $2 million of our money in his wife's law school program than try to fight high gas prices and outrageous property tax bills.”

“This much is clear: neither Rob nor Camille Andrews have our best interests at heart,” Glading concluded. “Rob Andrews has failed to properly represent us, taking our money and funneling it to his wife’s program. And Camille Andrews’ participation in this shady deal proves that she is unfit to represent us, too.”

Glading Demands Answers from
Andrews Clan About Unethical Earmarks

Congressional candidate calls on machine politicians
to level with constituents about
multi-million dollar giveaways

BARRINGTON – Dale Glading, candidate for U.S. Congress in New Jersey’s 1st District, today called for Rob and Camille Andrews to come clean about the millions of dollars in unethical earmarks allocated to Camille Andrews’ employer from 2001 through 2005.

As reported by The Star-Ledger, Rep. Rob Andrews acquired $2.27 million in federal earmarks for the Rutgers Law School and “consistently directed taxpayer money to a program his wife controls.” (“Lautenberg campaign questions Andrews' earmarks for Rutgers”, The Star-Ledger, May 13, 2008)

“The citizens of this district are tired of hearing Mr. and Mrs. Andrews spin this story to their advantage,” said Glading. “The simple truth is that they got caught with their hands in the cookie jar. It’s time for the Andrews clan to level with the people they have failed to represent.”

“The hard-working people of our district are tired of career politicians treating our money as their own,” Glading added. “For Mr. Andrews to hand-deliver our hard-earned money to his wife’s program at Rutgers is both arrogant and reprehensible.”

“Mr. Andrews’ previous attempts to spin his indefensible conduct have been unconvincing," Glading continued. “Camden is the poorest and third most dangerous city in America, and all Mr. Andrews can think of doing to help its citizens is to send millions to his wife's law school.”

“Of course, we can't expect a couple that declared nearly half a million dollars in income last year to understand how the rest of us live,” Glading concluded. “They simply can’t relate to the day-to-day struggles that we face, with gas prices rising out of control and the highest property taxes in the country.”

12th District Legislators Senator Jennifer Beck, Assemblywoman Caroline Casagrande, and Assemblyman Declan O’Scanlon today expressed outrage over news reports that Keansburg School District Superintendent Barbara Trzeskowski will receive a combined severance and benefits package worth nearly $750,000.

12TH District Legislators Senator Jennifer Beck, Assemblywoman Caroline Casagrande, and Assemblyman Declan O’Scanlon said today that a report by a state auditor outlining numerous failures to comply with state statutes governing the program confirm exactly what they’ve been saying for months.

12th District Republican Assemblyman Declan O’Scanlon announced today that he would be introducing a bill which would make health benefits available only to those public employees, elected officials and appointees who work fulltime. The bill is co-sponsored by Assemblyman Louis Greenwald, D-Camden, who is also the Chairman of the Assembly Budget Committee.  

Assemblywoman Caroline Casagrande and Assemblyman Declan O’Scanlon issued the following statement regarding the conviction of Sharpe James on corruption charges:

Senator Jennifer Beck, a leading proponent of ethics reform in the New Jersey Legislature, issued the following statement on the conviction of former State Senator and Newark Mayor Sharpe James on charges of fraud:

ROBERTS/WATSON COLEMAN BILL UPDATING LEGISLATIVE CODE OF ETHICS PASSES ASSEMBLY

(TRENTON) - Legislation Assembly Speaker Joseph J. Roberts, Jr. and Assembly Majority Leader Bonnie Watson Coleman sponsored to modernize the Legislative Code of Ethics today passed the General Assembly by a vote of 76 to 1.

New Jersey General Assembly News

ROBERTS/DECROCE BIPARTISAN ETHICS REFORMS PASS ASSEMBLY

Measures Would Reformulate Joint Legislative Committee on Ethical Standards; Disqualify Criminals from Lobbying

(TRENTON) - Two ethics bills sponsored by Assembly Speaker Joseph J. Roberts, Jr. and Assembly Minority Leader Alex DeCroce that would overhaul the state's Joint Legislative Committee on Ethical Standards (JLCES) and bar convicted individuals from registering as lobbyists today passed the General Assembly.

Senators Kevin O’Toole (R-40) and Jennifer Beck (R-12) called today for greater accountability and transparency oversight in government. The senators requested that seven bills pertaining to dual office holding, pay-to-play and wheeling be brought for a vote at the next Senate State Government Committee hearing.

"My colleagues and I were elected on a platform of change," stated O’Toole. "I am not comfortable with their timetable for reform. We need it now. Lets put together an agenda and get government reform in motion."