Jersey City Mayor Steven Fulop’s campaign for governor has filed a complaint against U.S. Rep. Mikie Sherrill (D-11), one of his opponents in the June 10th Democratic primary, prompting an impromptu sparring session between the two sides.
By John Heinis/Hudson County View
“New Jersey’s matching funds system is designed to give everyday residents a voice, not to be exploited by candidates working with political bosses behind the scenes,” Fulop said in a statement.
“We aren’t looking to score political points here with this action but what Mikie Sherrill is doing is just plain wrong and residents deserve a fair election.”
Under the New Jersey Election Law Enforcement Commission’s (NJ ELEC) Advisory Opinion No. 01-2023, any coordinated expenditure made from a separate campaign account that benefits a gubernatorial campaign must be attributed to that campaign.
That is regardless of whether the candidate has formally declared or sought matching funds.
The three-page complaint, filed by Fulop campaign attorney Scott Salmon, alleges that Sherrill has effectively bypassed the gubernatorial expenditure cap by using her congressional funds to promote her gubernatorial ambitions.
“New Jersey deserves a fair election in which all candidates abide by the same rules,. When someone attempts to circumvent our state’s campaign finance laws it undermines public trust and threatens the integrity of our elections,” noted Salmon, a shareholder at Jardim Meisner Salmon Sprague & Susser.
“Applying to gain tax payer dollars from matching funds and then using your congressional account to offset campaign expenses is ethically wrong and something that ELEC has clearly stated is not permitted. We urge ELEC to hold Mikie Sherrill accountable.”
The complaint, filed yesterday, does not highlight any specific instances where Sherrill used her congressional account to bolster her gubernatorial efforts and ELEC Deputy Executive Director Joe Donohue said they cannot confirm or deny the existence of an investigation.
Sherrill campaign manager Alex Ball wrote the complaint off as an election stunt from Team Fulop.
“This is a fabricated charge from an obviously desperate and corrupt career politician with a long track record of steering city contracts to his campaign contributors. His attempt to reinvent himself as a reformer is as laughable as it is insulting to voters,” she told HCV.
Steve files ethics complain against someone else who is “below” him. Could not make this stuff up.