"I don't know what PACs we have or how much is in them."
...Chairman Fredrick P. Niemann.
Republicans and others in Monmouth County woke up this morning to a report in the Asbury Park Press on seven "PAC" funds set up around Monmouth County so the County GOP leadership can get around the new "Pay to Play" law. The report was on the front page. Above the fold.
According to the Press, County GOP leaders were quick to take the code of omerta, or silence, and quickly denied any knowledge of the funds:
Fredrick P. Niemann, chairman of the Monmouth County Republican Organization, said Wednesday that he was unaware of the existence of the seven new GOP committees.
"I don't know what PACs we have or how much is in them," he said.
Josh Elkes, finance chairman of the Monmouth County Republican Organization, said he was aware of the seven GOP committees but would not comment further about why they were established or how the funds would be used.
The County GOP's shadowy Executive Director, Dan Gallic, has yet to chime in on his knowledge of this situation.
Freeholder Anna C. Little refused a contribution of $2,600 from the Holmdel Committee for Good Government, stating, "I was unsure of the origin of the funds in the account" and "I don't care to be involved in a scandal."
The PACs were also blasted by Assemblywoman Amy Handlin (R-13) and Holmdel Township Committeeman Terence M. Wall, a freeholder candidate.
The PACs are all titled the (name of town) Committee for Good Government and include funds set up in Aberdeen, Holmdel, Howell, Interlaken, Long Branch, Neptune and Union Beach. Each lists the local GOP municipal chairman as PAC chairman and Glenn Hopler of Middletown Township as treasurer. Hopler is a CPA with the Toms River firm of Holman & Frenia, PC. Toms River is in Ocean County. All the PACs have the address of P. O. Box 7300, Shrewsbury. Three other PACs listed on the Interlaken ELEC report disbursements but without reports of their own are the Committee for Sensible Growth, New Millenium Leadership and the Committee for Small Business Development.
By playing dumb on this, Niemann has hung seven local leaders out to dry.
Of the seven PACs, so far only one may be said to have its days numbered, the Aberdeen Committee for Good Government. On March 9th, on this blog, Aberdeen GOP Chairman Michael Borg said:
"...about two months ago, I asked that it be dismantled, that has yet to be done. I will handle that when I get back from the Federal Law Enforcement Academy, where I have been for the last three weeks, and where I'll continue to be for the next two and half."
We hope that Mr. Borg follows through on this if he hasn't already, and the leaders in the other towns follow suit. It's a shame that Mr. Hopler didn't dismantle it when Mr. Borg asked in the first place.
UPDATE
In the March 25 Asbury Park Press, a follow-up article quotes Fred Niemann as saying the PACs are "perfectly legal"; he then in fine Clintonesque fashion deflects the question with assertations that the New Jersey campaign finance laws are weak.
A number of Republican stalwarts have called for his resignation.
At the Affilliated Republican Club's candidate's night last night, where the tension could cut glass, Niemann lashed out at his critics, calling them names like "part of al-Qaida in our organization" and "enemies of reform." He has previously used terms like "communists and bomb-throwers." He then came out for public financing of political campaigns.
Mayor Robert D. Wolf III of Interlaken demanded Niemann, "take accountability for turning the Interlaken GOP coffers into a Maytag washing machine."
36 comments:
"Duh,I don't know what PACs we have or how much is in them. Duhhh, hyuk, hyuk, hyuk. I'm so stupid!"
The Committee for Responsibility and Trust in Government.
That's been researched by Jackie Corley. Any updates on that, Journalista?
The Comm. for Resp. and Trust in Govt. is a PAC run by Jack Sinagra, essentially for Republicans. Sinagra is seen as having ties to Lynch and the PAC is a haven for developer money, particularly Jack Morris.
Morris is the guy who most recently saw the spotlight because his companies used industrially-contaminated fill for residential projects. His companies have denied knowing the fill was contaminated.
I expect an update on the affiliate thing tomorrow, Abe! I understand Fred was supposed to be hosting? Man, that's gotta be awkward today.
Elephants_not_donkeys said...
"Sharon, you raise an interesting point, but what what do you mean by perversion of the system? The Democrats wrote the manual on how to exploit campaign finance loopholes. It is the exact reason why they are flush with cash while the Republicans are not. The PACS are a legal and accepted way of doing business. If it violates the spirit of the law, the loopholes should be closed for botht the elephants AND the jackasses, don't you agree."
Yes the loophole SHOULD be closed PERIOD! A candidate cannot run on ETHICS while knowingly wheeling contributions for the exact purpose of circumventing the ELEC and pay to play laws. YES, ELEC LAWS! When an individual gives the maximum contribution to each PAC, the PAC can then wheel the money back to the candidate, who may have also received the maximum contribution from the individual.
The Howell Citizens for Good Government actually had to return excess contributions from one donor which then showed up in another PAC. Online access to ELEC repotrs has made it very easy to follow campaign contributions. The wheeling of contributions is not fooling anyone. Wheeling only bring into question a candidate's credibility and intergity.
i hate to say 'i told you so,' but there is that...
Keep it up, republIcan'ts. There will be 2 Democrats sitting in Freehold after Novemnber
ok, so let's take a hard look at this...
a. the gop chairman is full of @^*& and is pretty much weird. I won't dignify the Al Qaeda thing;
b. mike borq didn't tell the truth (ala "the county had nothing to do with my election" and "i didn't know...). chairmen are responsible for their shop on their watch... period and i really don't have time for the noises about excuses;
c. the gop's actual brain trust: jim, geri, pam, abe, bill s., john c., lillian, billy b., bob m., terry w., yeah..you gio, steve g., mary f., norine (well, you're the only one named norine) and mel (and there's only one mel). you guys better fix this thing or you will absolutely deserve to lose in november and i am as serious as a heart attack. you folks know it too and if you don't do it then you deserve whatever is next.
frankly, i always said that "hear no evil, see no evil..." thing was BS and you guys knew it too.
this was everything that people like myself and lorenzo said it was and WE caught it in the neck. it's just how it was. you folks are good people but, frankly, it's time to step up or lose. sorry, it's the truth and you guys know it.
a lot of people were hurt by this guy and no one said anything while he was doing it.
JIM_PURCELL said:
" you folks are good people but, frankly, it's time to step up or lose. sorry, it's the truth and you guys know it."
Thanks for that. As you already know most of those you listed have stepped up and are fighting. We will have a new chairman in June, or sooner, and our county ticket will very likely be funded by a grassroots effort this fall..Little is committed to it and two of her potential running mates, Wall and Kleinberg are on record as not being willing to take PAC money. If DiBella is the nominee there will be PAC money on our side.
This is very risky! Will the APP go after the Dems wheeling as hard as they are going after the GOP's? Will The Courier and the other weeklies? Will the Dem candidates foresake PAC money? Has anyone asked them? Jim, will you ask them?
Anna Little's election last month indicates that the rank and file is fed up with the nonsense and wants candidates and party leadership that are clean and in the game for the right reasons. Will the rank and file get their checkbooks out?
Fred has won in spite of himself, not because of any skill as a campaigner. The man couldn't even win his own committee seat.
The R's only won the freeholder race last year because the APP endorsed Unger and the Dems managed to trip over themselves. In the process, the R's faced numerous municipal losses. That happened because of Fred's incompetence.
With any poor chairman, the Mon. GOP isn't going to lose everything in the 2-yr. period he or she hold the reins. The machine that was built up over the past couple decades is too strong for that.
The municipal losses represent a slow cancer that will spread to the county level and legislative district level soon enough. I don't seen how the party sustains the divisions Fred has created.
And the PAC stuff is not going to just vanish because it was a loophole. Fred grossly exploited that loophole and then through the blame on local leaders. Those local leaders were likely the last remaining supporters Fred has, and now he's gone and threw them to the wolves.
Even Handlin doesn't seem to support him anymore.
Where can he go from here?
Somebody better get it together fast. The Dems this year actually apear organized and frothing at the mouth for a win. If they don't trip over themselves as they have in the past, you guys will be facing a problem. And if DiBella is selected as freeholder you may as well count your losses now.
elephants:
it's not the dems that got nailed with wheeling. so far, there hasn't been a word about dems. so, before you go throwing any rocks i suggest you close up the great big gaping holes in your own house and stop speculation without one shred of evidence.
i became a democrat because i was one of those stupid enough to believe in fred very early on but not glassy eyed enough to not allow myself to see the truth. he's a bad guy and, by the way, he did lose...in declan's race. and, that's one more loss than bill dowd had in 17 years (he lost bennett, arnone and farragher in like his 18th year).
fred also lost in aberdeen, matawan, keyport, hazlet among other places in monmouth.
you can be "anti-me" all you want. you keep on drinking that punch and waiting for the mother ship. he's a bad guy and does shady things. you want to believe he's the best you can do? well, your sites are set pretty low.
he got elected because he lied through his teeth. i was there... a lot of people were. peddle your prepared partisan monologues down the street.
Elephants_not_donkeys said:
"They don't like Fred because Fred WINS. He hasn't lost a major election yet!!! "
And he never will lose a major election, because he as managed his last.
The genesis of Fred's problem is not fundraising or playing by the rules or not. Its a question of leadership. Bill Barham has the same problem. They both live as though their titles give them power. They think that they no longer have to build relationships or sell their agendas. They think people will be, or should be, obedient just because they are the boss. It doesn't work that way in politics. It doesn't really work that way in business either. A boss has to build a team based on strong relationships and mutual respect before their teams will follow.
The rank and file gave Fred the position because they were fed up with the back room deals. He made promises he didn't keep and he stopped building relationships and support.
If Fred had continued to develope his team, proposed the by laws, and explained why we need to raise money the way he's raised it, BEFORE the splatter came off the fan, we wouldn't be in this mess, and he would be a hero for winning last year, with the APP's help or not. Fred is inept at team building. That's why we have this problem and that's why he has to go. The recent news is a sympton, not the cause. The press will make it out as the reason he gets the boot, but its not.
Barham has the same problem. He thinks that just because he is the Director that he will be followed the same way Harry was, or followed the way he was when running his own company. Life doesn't work that way in America.
Fred is already toast, and Bill may not be far behind. Ted may end up as Director yet.
Jackie Corley:
Yeah! The "New Jackie" kicks butt! Purcell should have given you a column. Don't ever apologize for being flip (Chairman Spray-on Tan). Many commentators owe their success to their flipness - Laura Ingraham comes to mind - if that's your style, then go with it!
"The municipal losses represent a slow cancer that will spread to the county level and legislative district level soon enough. I don't seen how the party sustains the divisions Fred has created."
This slow cancer (of neglecting the local organizations) was begun under Bill Dowd, and was one of the complaints against him back in 2004; the only local organization he showed any interest in was Middletown, and that was because he was Township Attorney. Fred's only interest in the locals was to use well-meaning local leaders for his wheeling (PACs) and development (Manalapan mega-mall, anyone?) ends. Now Fred can quote "Otter" from Animal House as he tries to console those local chairmen: "You (messed) up - you trusted us!"
Jim Purcell:
You should have given Jackie a column!
Dowd also lost back in '86: Fred Niemann (yeah, that Niemann) for Surrogate, and Dorothy Avallone & John Bradshaw for freeholders. Also a special 11th District assembly election (88?) where Tom Villane lost to John Villapiano.
Dowd also lost the 1987 Azzolina for State Senate race, Popkin for State Senate the same year (Which brought Frank Pallone from an unknown Long Branch City councilman to the State Legislature, and hence constant headlines.), not to mention every race against Pallone.
THIS NOVEMBER WE'RE BACK! BE THERE ALOHA!
you know, when people pigeon hole themsleves into labels they do themselves a disservice. the problems in monmouth are not "republican" or "democrat." an honest republican is better than a crooked democrat any day of the week, and vice versa.
it's a fool who puts stock in labels over the talents of people. should four good candidates emerge from the chaos for november then this county will be served well.
there's plenty to work with at the county. during the election of billy and lillian, i was a staunch supporter of theirs and remain so because they are good people who are part of good things that can come.
of course, there was nothing wrong with rebecca or barbara. if they had won it would have been good as well. but, as things turned out, all's well that ends well.
this time out, it is much the same. i do not believe that either lenny or barbara would make bad choices. to the contrary, they would make good choices. BUT, so would anna little. indeed, any of these three taking office would be good for this county.
now...the question isn't settled. who will run with anna? if it's some cast off or hack, is this race of ideas the best we can get in the county...or is it something less. anna does deserve better than lackluster because she has showed up with integrity.
i have always called it the way i saw it and have not played the ridiculous game that the gop's flatterers have for so long, and anyone who knows me knows that.
many of these people have been my friends for years, and where i come from that means something.
Whether Fred stays or goes, one thing is for sure...comments like those from the BIG PROFESSOR will activate the tax payers of Monmouth and vote with the Republicans.
Republicans need to remember this is a party squabble...not a campaign issue...it's a November issue, the number one issue with Monmouth resident's is taxes, taxes, taxes...
Fred or another...after June we will unite...again.
Well said, Tom.
The genesis of Fred's problem is not fundraising or playing by the rules or not. Its a question of leadership. Bill Barham has the same problem
WELL SAID MR SEWARD
Hey Old Hickory...we should get into this scam!
Mr Donkey...you're right on the money. Let's try and trick them into keeping Fred in office!
michael:
nice drama. you didn't like the azzolina campaign for whatever reason. but, no one wins any races for themselves "destroying" anyone else. the whole "destroying people" thing is a ridiculous doctrine that your folks are all about, not mine. big joe wouldn't go that way, no matter who was squabbling. and, personal likes or dislikes don't venture into campaign time. if anything, it is a time of forced unity (well for sane people).
frankly, you've been one of fred's biggest supporters in the bayshore and your on board with him. great. his administration is about disinformation, exaggeration and cheap theatrics. i don't know, where do you think your latest "revelation" fits?
you don't want to take responsibility for a Republican PAC in your town. OK. That's your thing. Most people think chairmen and chairwomen take responsibility for the operation of their party in their town. You evidently disagree. In your case, that means you had nothing to do with it...not even knowledge. You vilifed Democratic funding during the election but had no idea of the PAC. And, the county didn't have anything to do with your race or your town then. They just had a PAC there, with no knowledge by anyone.
Of course, this is the unvarnished truth then? Involvement by the county and the last race: some? a lot? or none? Your answer was "none." Have anymore stories? People are accountable for what they do in office, by way of voting and deals and how they make their money off office. I know you're not a big fan of accountability by office holders and we should all "hear no evil and see no evil" because of what someone checks off on a voter registration card. but, if you want to try and get fiction published, there's a couple good sites on the web looking for stories. maybe you should put your nonsense there.
meeting...yes. grossman and foley were at that. wonder if they recall any "they will rue the day" speeches?
donkeys rule...can you possibly be more transparent. danny...did someone let you near the computer again?
they know not to do that. go back and tell your sitter what you did and get back to bed.
if you are actually a democrat, donkeys, please turn in your voter registration card as quickly as you can at the nearest board of elections. walk away from the ballot box... that's right...a little farther. good.
oh yeah, i read the not "altruistic" part of the bork post. well, the county thing and the job deal is pretty much a horse whipped dead at this point. no i didn't threaten anyone. and yes, the other paper's editorial was a bunch of bull. and oh yeah, i have witnesses. as for the county job thing. i have made it clear i would, at this point, never accept government employment and would not previously accept it because i refused to throw a dear friend under the bus for bull. oh yeah, witnesses there too.
as for me "hating the republicans," well that would be news for lillian, billy barham, anna little, terry wall, bob mckenna, ted narozanick, jim gianell, steve grossman...getting the idea here, mike? i don't like shady little earth worms who lie and cheat and use tax money and barter favors because they are such big shots. i've turned down "favors" to better my situation. i like my choices. i'll leave the intrigue and frilly little stuff to you.
Mr. Purcel I love your double standard.
Captain Joe tried to destroy a number of Middletown Republicans over an economic issue. Yet you say you are not into destroying people.
Come on be honest. You are really about tearing those who do not worship the same icons as you do.
Nobody is buying your schtik
elephants:
there are any number of people in the weekly news field who do not really like courier. last time i checked, being liked by unreasonable people isn't my goal in life. your rant sounds a little like someone i know and he focuses a lot on courier in his diatribes to his readers.
i know you like the "no one reads courier" schtick but it's what it is. oh, no one reads us. that is why blogs are preoccupied with my paper. it's why people from freehold and western monmouth take the trip to northern monmouth to buy us.
and it's why our little web site is doing so poorly. i bet if you try and wish the sky was green hard enough, you might make some more progress then by your current line of wishful thinking.
regardless of who you are, i think your argument about courier being so ill read would be more convincing if you stopped talking about it. have a great night.
Okay. Nothing more about Purcell, The Courier or related topics. It's getting irrelevant.
And old.
http://www.app.com/apps/pbcs.dll/articleAID=/20060328/NEWS01/603280361/1004/NEWS01
GOP leader draws ire for terrorist remark
Posted by the Asbury Park Press on 03/28/06
BY BOB CULLINANE
AND ANDREA ALEXANDER
STAFF WRITERS
While continuing to deflect criticism over the recently disclosed formation of seven new GOP campaign committees, Monmouth County GOP chairman Fredrick P. Niemann has drawn new fire for a remark he made Friday equating some in his party with terrorists.
"I think it's unfortunate that (Niemann) would stoop that low and throw terms around that offend most Americans," said Gerri Popkin, who resigned her post as deputy chairwoman of the county GOP on Friday.
Popkin and others in the party were rankled by Niemann's comment Friday at a GOP fund-raising event in which he called those who oppose him "part of al-Qaida in our organization."
Freeholder Lillian G. Burry characterized Niemann's remark as a "stupid comment" and Hazlet Republican chairman Steve Grossman labeled it "disgusting."
"Just because someone is against you, to compare them to a terrorist group is not right," Grossman said.
Niemann said he chose the analogy to illustrate what he called the "underground and covert" nature of a faction in the county party that he claims is small, yet subversive.
"These individuals never disclose themselves. They communicate by way of blogs, gossip and rumor," Niemann said. "I know who they are. But I believe in the (Ronald) Reagan commandment: Do not publicly criticize anyone in your party."
The party chairman said he intends to confront this internal turmoil "after our convention April 8," at which candidates for freeholder and surrogate will be chosen.
This latest flap comes on the heels of a controversy that surfaced Friday, after the Asbury Park Press reported that the county GOP party had created seven municipal committees that critics said were designed to exploit a loophole in the state's new pay-to-play law.
That law took effect Jan. 5, and seeks to limit the campaign contributions made by businesses and individuals with government contracts.
The seven new GOP committees, which were formed in October and share the same treasurer and mailing address, all have received contributions from business with Monmouth County contracts.
Their creation elicited harsh criticism from Assemblywoman Amy H. Handlin, R-Monmouth, who is a former county freeholder and the sponsor of several bills seeking campaign finance reform.
Handlin said the formation of the seven committees is proof that a serious loophole exists in the pay-to-play regulation laws.
"It appears to me that (the county GOP organization) is doing exactly what was intended by the drafters of this terribly flawed and deceptive law," Handlin said. "None of the so-called campaign financing laws have any meaning at all. They were created with a wink and a nod."
Handlin said her bills would block all corporate and union contributions to candidates and political parties.
"But I can't even get my bills posted," she said. "That speaks volumes about the lack of will in the current legislative majority to enact any real reforms."
In a written statement, state Sen. Ellen Karcher, D-Monmouth, said the seven GOP committees represent "another textbook case of abusing the public trust."
She wrote that the county GOP organization "has apparently been working the system to wash and wheel campaign cash throughout the county" and urged legislators to support campaign reform measures she has authored.
The county's Democratic Party organization also has joined the growing debate over the seven committees, asking the state Attorney General's Office to begin an investigation into their formation.
Meanwhile, Monmouth County Freeholder Anna Little, who had returned a $2,600 check that she received from one of the seven committees, said Monday that she misspoke last week when she said Niemann called her to try and convince her to reconsider.
Little said Monday that it was Josh Elkes, the party's finance chairman, and not Niemann, who placed that call. Elkes could not be reached for comment.
But the flap Monday swirled around Niemann's "al-Qaida" remark, made at a GOP fund-raising event in Spring Lake Heights.
"It was a poor choice of words to say the least," said Mel Hood, a member of the Neptune Planning Board who has announced plans to challenge Niemann for the party leadership in June. "There's nothing terroristic about questioning what (Niemann) does."
"I am not part of a terrorist organization," said Atlantic Highlands GOP Chairwoman Jane Frotton, who had called for Niemann to step down. "I am a Republican. This is the time to stand up and protect your town, your candidates and your county committee."
Barbara Muzetska, former board of elections chairwoman, called for Niemann's immediate resignation.
She called his remarks "offensive and not conducive to good Republican leadership."
"Fred Niemann has the Republican organization in a state of chaos," Muzetska said. "He should step aside now and spare the Republican Party any further embarrassment."
Copyright © 2006 Asbury Park Press. All rights reserved.
Listen up, Fred! As someone who opposed YOUR last two choices for Freeholder, I am personally offended by your characterization that "anyone who opposes you as part of the al-Qaida in our organization!"
Your comments denigrate those who lost their lives in 9-11, and the brave men and women who are fighting in Iraq and Afganistan.Your comments seek to inflame hatred against anyone with a different opinion than yours.
There is nothing underground or covert about my loyalties or my lack of support for policies that do not make good sense for Howell or Monmouth County. I post with my name. I disclose who I am.
Incredibly you stood by silently when your last choice for Freeholder and his supporters viciously attacked Sharon Migliaccio, myself, other freeholder candidates, and many others who DARED to disagree with their policies. Now I know why!
I did not give up my right of free speech when I registered as a Republican. Wheeling is NOT an acceptable practice. It brings into question a candidate's integrity, and you are not fooling anyone. Since you have been the GOP County Chair, Howell GOP has opened TWO PACS to support their local candidates rather than fund the campaign through a candidate's campaign committee. "Good government?" I think not. You owe the county, and Monmouth Republicans in particular, an apology for your al-Qaida characterization.
I am sure my coments will buy me opposition in the county committee election, but some things need to be said. And some things, like the future of the Monmouth GOP, are worth fighting for!
Huh?
Fred Niemann calling Republicans who disagree with him an "Al-Qaeda Contingent" is outrageous! How could he compare members of the Republican Party to the scum of the earth? He needs to apologize or he should resign. I am very insulted by this remark.
He was damn lucky that the Green Party candidate siphoned votes from the Dems in the last election. We need Freeholders that aren't suits, a million years old or someone's lap dog. If not we will lose in the future.
Fred Laden said...
"I believe the the Reagan commandment: Do not publicaly criticize anyone in your party."
Too bad Fred didn't practice that himself, or speak up when his freeholder choice and his supporters were viciously attacking Sharon Migliaccio, myself, other freeholder candidates, and many others who DARED to disagree with their policies.
Fred stole my picture!
ginger hoffmeier said...
"How did DiBella even get on the short list for Freeholder?"
He wasn't qualified for the tall list.
Kramer Hall addressed...
"Fred stole my picture!"
Looks like he gave it back!
Honest Abe said...
"Kramer Hall addressed...
"Fred stole my picture!"
Looks like he gave it back! "
No, I had to get another one. I hope Barney Fife can find the old one!
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