Frederick Herrmann

The announcement today that Dr. Frederick Herrmann will retire after 23 years as Executive Director of the New Jersey Election Law Enforcement Commission prompts speculation on his successor.  While Herrmann had built a reputation as a non-partisan enforcer of campaign finance laws, his three predecessors came from political backgrounds – and while the new Executive Director will be named by the four ELEC Commissioners (two Democrats and two Republicans), it’s more likely that Gov. Jon Corzine will influence the process. 

With some senior Star-Ledger reporters being offered buyouts, one possible candidate for Herrmann’s $125,000-a-year job is Robert Schwaneberg, who spent years covering state government, including the Judiciary and ELEC.  Schwaneberg, the husband of New Jersey Supreme Court Justice Helen Hoens, is well-liked by Corzine and by Democratic and Republican leaders.  One front office insider suggested that several soon-to-be former Star-Ledger reporters will find their way into the administration.

Dr. Frederick Herrmann, the longtime Executive Director of the New Jersey Election Law Enforcement Commission, has announced his retirement.

Dr. Frederick Herrmann, the longtime ELEC Executive DirectorFrom time to time, the New Jersey legislature will pass new regulations to constrain politicians' behavior, such as the pay-to play laws and the proposed clean elections law that would result in public financing of campaigns.  But the Election Law Enforcement Commission, the regulatory agency charged with monitoring compliance is not receiving funding increases equal to these new responsibilities.

Just ask Democratic State Sen. Loretta Weinberg (D-Teaneck), who had to amend the governor's fiscal 2009 budget in May to stop the state from cutting $750,000 in funding from ELEC's administrative budget in order to give it a more modest cut of $250,000, to $4.647 million.

"What I did was lobby, and state in front of the state government committee how important I thought it was," Weinberg said. "It was nothing heroic.  I was just calling attention to the facts here."

Republican State Sen. Bill Baroni (R-Hamilton), who teaches election and campaign finance law at Seton Hall Law School, also pushed for the reinstatement of funding, although he believed that no funding should have been cut whatsoever. When the cuts were first announced in April, Baroni wrote a letter to Gov. Jon Corzine about ELEC's budget troubles, including its inability to fill 21 vacancies in its staff with present funding levels.

Frederick Herrmann, executive director of the state Election Law Enforcement Commission, says the Fair and Clean Elections program enables his staff and him to decide whether a candidate participating in the clean elections program may receive rescue funds to combat a third party action.

His day-to-day operating decisions are reviewable by the four-member commission, which is currently composed of three commissoners - two Democrats and one Republican - since the other Republican resigned in September to assume another government position.

Dr. Frederick Hermann, the Executive Director of the New Jersey Election Law Enforcement Commission (ELEC), today again would not confirm or deny that Assemblywoman Linda Greenstein received rescue funds for her Fair and Clean Elections legislative campaign in the 14th district.

Greenstein is confident her campaign has properly submitted the forms showing why she should qualify for $100,000 in aid.

"It’s my understanding that we’re receiving the funds," said Assemblywoman Linda Greenstein, "but we haven’t gotten a check yet."

The New Jersey Election Law Enforcement Commission has still not announced their decision on a request for relief funds in the 14th district Clean Election program. ELEC said yesterday that they would post their decison at 10AM today.