2011 DEMOCRAT CAMPAIGN FUNDING

As has so often been the case this time of year, nothing of substance has yet shown up on this year's Democrat Party candidate ELEC reports. Nothing new either yet to reflect any changes brought about under the new County Dem chairman boss, Vinod Gopal. However, there's always last year's final reports, which are relevant because two of their losing candidates from last year, William Shea (freeholder county commissioner) and Michael Steinhorn (surrogate 2011, county clerk 2012), are on this year's countywide ballot.

Let's first look at Amy Mallet's final report:

Pallone for Congress gave her $1,000.00 contribution on October 21, 2011, and another $1,000.00 on Nov. 1. After that it's the unions.

NJEA Political Action Committee contributed $1,250.00 on the same date. That's the teachers' union folks.

DRIVE Committee contributed $1,000.00 on Nov. 9. DRIVE is an acronym: Democrat Republican Independent Voter Education; it's the political action committee of the Teamsters Union.

1199 SEIU NYS Political Action Fund gave Mallet's campaign $2,000.00 on Nov. 17. Service Employees International Union (SEIU) is known for thuggishness, often supplying goons to physically disrupt events. These are bad dudes. The "NYS" stands for New York State. That is a separate state to the north of New Jersey; again we must reiterate, New York is a separate state. This is an out of state campaign contribution.

Now Bill Shea's report:

NJEA Political Action Committee contributed $1,250.00 on Nov. 7. Again, we must reiterate, this is the teachers' union.
Earlier union bucks to Shea can be found here.


And now, Mr. Steinhorn:

Realtors' Political Action Committee on September 30 gave $1,000.00 and another $1,000.00 on October 4.
Steinhorn's report is the only one certified as a final report.


Now, let's look at the Monmouth County Democrats report:

Election Fund of Joseph Cryan (D-Union), the rootinest, tootinest, double-dippinest undersheriff/assemblyman ever to bedazzle New Jersey contributed $10,000.00 to the County Democrats on October 5. Recall that on September 18, he also contributed 1,000.00 smackers to Amy Mallet's campaign account.
In late 2008 it was the Monmouth County Democrat Freeholder County Commissioner majority who looked to Cryan to fill key appointments.

Annette Quijano Election Fund (D-Union), contributed $5,000.00 on Oct. 26. Quijano is a part of the 20th District Legislative delegation along with Joe Cryan and Sen. Raymond J. Lesniak. (below) Quijano replaced former Assemblyman Neil Cohen, the well-known child-porn impressario, currently on parole from South Woods State Prison.

Election Fund of Raymond J. Lesniak (D-Union), contributed $1,000.00 on Oct. 27.

Union County Democratic Committee , Charlotte DeFilippo, chair, forked over $3,000.00 on Oct. 21. Monmouth and Union County Democrats have had a long and cozy relationship. Not sure whether or not that will continue under Gopal, who is Nopal to the GOP.

Union Township Democratic Municipal Committee, Joseph Cryan, chair, contributed $3,500.00 on Nov. 9, another $3,500.00 on Nov. 25, for a total of $7,000.00.

Election Fund of John S. Wisniewski (D-Middlesex), gave $7,500.00 on Oct. 24. Recall that on February 10 he contributed $1,000.00 and another $2,500.00 on September 15 for an aggregate of $11,000.
Democracy in Motion, the mysterious PAC, gave $5,000.00 on Nov. 2.  On July 8 they had contributed $5,000.00; they gave another $10,000.00 on September 15. They first showed up on the Monmouth County scene back in '09. Their chairman is Michael L. Broderick and their treasurer is Christina Montorio. Both are employed by Teamsters Local 469 in Hazlet, Broderick as Business Agent and Montorio as a Port Representative. They appear to be funded by professional firms; CME Engineering is a major player here, although T & M, Birdsall and various law firms have donated. They even got a check from Gary "Billboard" Taffet, former chief of staff to disgraced Gov. James E. McGreevey. Their disbursements go predominantly to Middlesex County Democrats.

Raritan Bay Leadership Fund contributed $7,000.00 on Dec. 1. Their chairman is former Middlesex County Clerk Raniero Travisano of Sayreville and their treasurer New Brunswick attorney David Lonski. Their contributors and recipients are largely the same as Democracy in Motion.

Together We Can gave 2,500.00 on Nov. 2. Their chairman is former Kevin P. McCabe of Sewaren and their treasurer Woodbridge Township attorney James P. Nolan. McCabe is part of the management team of the Northeast Regional Council of Carpenters, Edison. Their contributors and recipients are largely the same as Democracy in Motion and the Raritan Bay Leadership Fund, with the addition of contributors Jamie Fox, DOT Commissioner in the McGreevey administration, and disgraced former Senator Robert Torricelli.

Is it because these contributors are extraordinarily civic-minded Americans who have a deep, abiding interest in local pols doing their jobs of serving their constituency? Might it be that these contributors just love participating in the political process?
Is Union County the Democrats' idea of "where Democrats are doing a better job governing than Republicans?"
Is Middlesex County the Democrats' idea of "where Democrats are doing a better job governing than Republicans?"
Well?????