Platform Update

Sept. 26, 2007

ACTION ITEMS

New Platform Agenda: The Platform Government Reform Initiative has a revised agenda thanks to input from Platform members. The revised action plan removes items where we had success (like the establishment of a Lt. Governor) and adds items that continue to be critical to the process of improving the public trust. The new agenda is here.

Clean Elections Pilot Program: The latest Clean Elections Pilot program is well underway, with candidates from the three districts involved in the program working hard to obtain the public contributions needed to be included in the plan. Platform members have regularly testified before the Election Law Enforcement Commission on this issue, providing guidance and suggestions on how to make the program work.

Clean Elections II: Under the leadership of Ingrid Reed, the Eagleton Institute has created a Citizens Advisory Committee to supplement the monitoring activities related to the Clean Elections Pilot Program. The goal of the group is to review the actions and results of the pilot program and to make recommendations on how to make continual improvement. The first meeting of the Committee will be in early October.

Clean Elections III: Government Reform Chairman Peter Cocoziello added his voice to those supporting the Clean Elections Pilot Program with a guest editorial, which appeared in several papers statewide. Click here for the op-ed.

Government Reform Initiatives Become Law: Several pieces of legislation supported by the Platform were recently signed into law. A-4326 prohibits newly elected public office holders from simultaneously holding more than one elective office. S-1192 creates the crime of Corruption of Public Resources, making it illegal to knowingly misuse taxpayer dollars and other public resources. S-1318 authorizes courts to assess extra fines in corruption cases that involve any aspect of award or payment of local, county or State contracts. And S-1662 requires the Office of Legislative Services to make available online the complete voting records of state legislators.

ITEMS OF INTEREST

New Campaign Donation Reporting Requirements: New campaign disclosure requirements are now in place for both profit and nonprofit entities with $50,000 or more in state or local government contracts. Groups with such government contracts are now required to file an annual report with the Election Law Enforcement Commission (ELEC) listing each contract and all political contributions greater than $300. Owners and management of for profit entities with aggregate government contracts of $50,000 must disclose all local, county and state political contributions over $300 by Friday, September 28. Trustees of nonprofit organizations who make contributions as individuals have until at least October 30 to file. The filing deadline could change or be eliminated based on a ruling by the Attorney General’s Office currently looking into if nonprofit trustee contributions are covered by the law. Visit here for additional details.

The Catch of the Day: The Sunday Bergen Record ran a front-page story on corruption in New Jersey and the efforts of U.S. Attorney Chris Christie to eradicate it. Included in the article is a list of “Christie’s Catches,” a chronology of the public officials and employees arrested by federal authorities. To read the article and see the chart visit here.