A beer hall, a virus and Adam Alonso – Politico

Good Friday morning!

Assembly Minority Leader Jon Bramnick is the only major Republican lawmaker in New Jersey who’s openly critical of President Trump. For about three years now, he’s been warning that the president’s rhetoric is hurting New Jersey Republicans. And for three years, he’s been proven right.

Now, New Jersey Republicans are sharing the ballot with Trump and looking at a political environment that may be even worse than 2018 — at least it would be if they had many seats to lose.

We’ll see if the election plays out the way it’s looking right now. But sometime after Nov. 3, Bramnick will announce whether he’s running for governor. He’s said he’s very serious about it, even if many Republicans I talk to doubt he’ll actually make the move. But the thing is, though Bramnick’s been right about Trump’s damage down-ballot in New Jersey, chances are that will still hurt him in a Republican primary.

Read more about it here.

WHERE’S MURPHY?: Holding a virtual signing of LTC legislation at 11:15 a.m.

CORONAVIRUS TRACKER: 1,182 newly-diagnosed cases for a total of 224,385. 18 more deaths for a total of 14,474 (not counting 1,789 presumed deaths)

HAPPY BIRTHDAY: Assemblymember Eliana Pintor-Marin, bassist Ken Kurson. Saturday for Pollster Patrick Murray, former Ponzio’s owner Chris Fifis, Nature Conservancy’s Stacy McCormack. Sunday for Division of Elections’ Alicia D’Alessandro, Bordentown Deputy Mayor Eric Holliday

QUOTE OF THE DAY: “It takes somebody with a lot of character to say ‘I screwed up’ or ‘I was wrong’.” — Gov. Phil Murphy praising former Gov. Chris Christie for his op-ed on masks.

COVINNER CIRCLE — Murphy staffers battling Covid head-on as cases statewide continue to rise, by POLITICO’s Katherine Landergan and Sam Suttom: New Jersey is continuing to see a “sobering” increase in coronavirus cases statewide, Gov. Phil Murphy said Thursday as he confronts a potential outbreak of the virus within his own inner circle … In a response to a reporter’s question during Thursday’s briefing, Murphy said he didn’t have a “lapse in judgment” in going to the bar. “We were outside, having a beer. Tammy and I are trying to get around the state as best we can to … give business to places around the state,” he said … Also joining the Murphy group on Saturday was Adam Alonso, a former aide to the governor and political operative with whom Murphy cut ties after allegations Alonso created a “toxic” work culture while serving as chief of staff for the Milwaukee 2020 DNC host committee. A photo circulating on Twitter shows Alonso sitting near the governor …Murphy and several staff members also attended a going away party for Matt Platkin, the governor’s now former chief counsel, on Friday evening at Drumthwacket, the governor’s mansion near Princeton. Asked about the event, Murphy said it was “outdoors, under a tent that was opened on three-and-a-half sides.”

DOE TO FORM DIVISION OF DIVISIONS TO ADDRESS PROBLEM — New Jersey education officials still don’t know the depth of state’s digital divide, by POLITICO’s Carly Sitrin: More than seven months after schools closed in March, and as coronavirus cases are rising again in New Jersey, the state Department of Education still does not have a solid handle on how many students lack access to the internet or devices on which to learn remotely. “We are working to collect updated info on the digital divide,” Mike Yaple, a DOE spokesperson, said in an email. Asked for a “ballpark figure” or an estimate on how many students are still struggling to connect, Yaple could not produce one and said the data could take “a few days, a week, or a few weeks,” to compile. The state reported in June that more than 358,000 students needed devices. Since then, some districts have taken it upon themselves and placed massive orders for laptops and Chromebooks, assuming reimbursements will come. Local philanthropists and businesses have also made donations to get students online. It remains unclear how well this patchwork of solutions has worked.

289 MASTROS — “NJ Transit passes $2.6 billion budget that leans on CARES Act funds,” by The Record’s Colleen Wilson: “Despite anticipated revenue losses in the hundreds of millions, NJ Transit is trying to salvage the growth, investment and progress it has made in recent years by growing its budget 10% for the coming year — a decision made possible thanks to a shot of federal stimulus money. Some $955 million in various CARES Act funds are making up for the roughly $860 million revenue loss anticipated from decreases in ticket sales, commercial revenue and the state operating subsidy that usually carries the operating budget. About $361 million of NJ Transit’s stimulus funding was already spent in fiscal year 2020 that ended in June. But without that federal stimulus for next year’s budget, NJ Transit CEO and President Kevin Corbett said it’s uncertain how the agency will fill revenue gaps as it considers possible efficiencies in the coming year.”

0.00003 MASTROS — “NJ unemployment: Extra $300 benefits have been processed, Labor Department said,” by The Record’s Ashley Balcerzak: “The New Jersey Labor Department said it ‘successfully processed’ the additional $300 a week in federal jobless benefits on Thursday. Eligible workers should expect to see a payment ‘over the next couple of days’ depending on their bank, an agency spokesperson said. On Wednesday, the state agency said processing the supplemental unemployment was taking longer than planned, and it took down the state’s unemployment certifying application to ‘consolidate resources into making the $300 payments,’ spokesperson Angela Delli Santi. By Thursday morning, New Jersey transmitted the file of $1.2 billion worth of eligible claimants’ payments to Bank of America, which will then pass out the payments to workers’ banks and debit cards, Delli Santi said.”

OH HOW HE MUST WISH HE WASN’T SHARING A BALLOT WITH TRUMP — “Trouble in Bucco World,” by InsiderNJ’s Fred Snowflack: “A flurry of negative ads is making the only legislative race on the card this year fun to watch. This would be District 25, which covers northern and western Morris County, and one town, Bernardsville, in Somerset. A special election is taking place after last year’s death of state Sen. Anthony R. Bucco. The late senator’s son, Anthony M. Bucco, who got to the Senate via a GOP convention, is running to keep the seat along with Republican Assemblywoman Aura Dunn, who replaced the younger Bucco in the lower house. The Democrats are Rupande Mehta for Senate and Darcy Draeger for Assembly. A recent TV ad on behalf of the Republicans slams Draeger for taking advantage of a ‘shady tax break.’ This is not a new charge. The tax break in question is real, but not shady at all.”

—Judiciary Committee approves Fernandez-Vina for tenure to state Supreme Court

—New Jersey’s cannabis industry operators form a new trade organization

—“NJ Supreme Court drops 1,400 warrants against juveniles”

—Scutari delays cannabis hearing after Covid-19 exposure

—“State moving forward with in-person voting amid virus surge”

—“New CEO promises Ørsted will fulfill jobs promises with offshore wind farm“

TIRED OF WINNING — Judge throws out Trump campaign lawsuit against New Jersey’s election plans, by POLITICO’s Matt Friedman: A federal judge on Thursday tossed the Trump campaign’s lawsuit against New Jersey’s primarily mail-in election, ruling that most of its arguments were speculative and that the campaign failed to show how it’s being harmed. The lawsuit, filed in August by the Trump campaign as well as the Republican State Committee and Republican National Committee, was basically moot anyway. The plaintiffs did not seek an injunction to keep New Jersey from changing the way it was conducting its election. County clerks began mailing out ballots weeks ago and about 2 million have been cast so far. “Plaintiffs have alleged nothing more than the possibility of future injury to their members,” U.S. District Court Judge Michael Shipp wrote in his ruling.

THE TOM TOM CLUB — “Kean’s fake claims on health care,” by The Star-Ledger’s Tom Moran: “Sen. Tom Kean Jr. makes only one claim of substance in his campaign to unseat the incumbent in the 7th district, Rep. Tom Malinowski. It’s on health care, and it goes like this: Kean is a champion of bipartisan solutions to reduce costs, while protecting those with pre-existing conditions. Here’s the problem: His track record shows just the opposite. It’s a contradiction he won’t discuss, even in written exchanges. But votes are votes, and Kean has a record. New Jersey passed three major bills to contain costs in the last few sessions, bills that actually drove down the cost of health insurance in the state, a policy win that is rare. Kean voted against all of them. ‘With all due respect, there isn’t a lot of substance to what Kean is saying,’ says Sen. Joe Vitale.”

WHEN YOU FORGET TO USE THE DOG WHISTLE — “Madison Cawthorn’s racist website,” by The Bulwark’s Tom Miller: “A new attack website put up by the Madison Cawthorn campaign includes an explicitly racist broadside against his opponent, Moe Davis (D-NC), for associating himself with people who want to ‘ruin white males.’ For real. The website, MoeTaxes.com takes aim at Davis over his purported association with a local journalist, Tom Fiedler. It says that Fiedler ‘quit his academia job in Boston to work for non-white males, like Cory Booker who aims to ruin white males.’”

—“Republicans have the power to vote in Barrett. Sen. Booker implored them to have grace”

—“Friendly Fire Thursday: Julie & Mike on Democratic anxiety and the Pennsylvania showdown”

STRONG STANCE BY BARAKA: STEP DOWN IF YOU’RE CONVICTED AND LEGALLY REQUIRED TO LEAVE OFFICE — “Councilman’s deals at cigar lounge netted bribes, court docs allege. Mayor calls for his resignation,” by NJ Advance Media’s Rebecca Panico: “Court documents are shedding more light on the federal criminal charge against a Newark councilman accused of accepting bribes and kickbacks from developers, and now the city’s mayor is calling for him to step down if the allegations are proven in court. West Ward Councilman Joseph McCallum, Jr. … told NJ Advance Media late Tuesday he does not intend to step down as his case progresses, and his attorney, Tim Donohue, said he intends to vigorously prove his client’s innocence … Frederick and McCallum allegedly met at a local cigar lounge to pass along money they charged those in real estate for the promise of deals in the city, court documents say … When one developer seemed to be giving Frederick and McCallum difficulties about a backdoor deal, the councilman allegedly said, ‘Let that m—- f—- know, man, I need, I need some f—–‘ money, I need somethin.’ The discussion took place in early February when McCallum was trying to close on a house, the court documents allege. ‘I’ll go to the Mayor…,’ the councilman allegedly said during the conversation.”

LETTER TO YOU — “New Jersey mayor opens Trump food boxes, removes president’s letter, and replaces it with his own,” by New Jersey Globe’s David Wildstein: “A letter from President Donald Trump that accompanied U.S. Department of Agriculture fresh food boxes for Linden was replaced by one from the city’s Democratic mayor, Derek Armstead. Food boxes were opened by local public works department employees. Trump’s letter was removed and a letter from Armstead was added. ‘The original letter in these boxes was removed, and the mayor had city employees put in his letter on work time,’ said Councilwoman Gretchen Hickey, a Democrat and an Armstead political rival. Armstead acknowledged that his message was added to the box, offering local residents the impression to recipients that the food came from him. ‘Whenever I do a delivery, I always add a letter from the mayor,’ Armstead told the New Jersey Globe.”

CHECKING THE BOX — “Sweats, Eagles masks and yellow ballots: A day in the life of a Jersey ballot drop box,” by The Philadelphia Inquirer’s Amy Rosenberg: “By early morning, three police officers had already visited the ballot drop box sitting on Virginia Avenue outside the Monroe Township municipal building, but they were there only to deposit their own New Jersey ballots. ‘I’m undercover,’ confided one, swinging by the box in an unmarked car with his yellow ballot envelope, explaining why he couldn’t give his name. He was bleary from an overnight job. Joining them in the first few misty hours of daylight at the Gloucester County box were these voters: the assistant principal of Overbrook High, a supervisor for a juice company, a teacher on her way to Cherry Hill, a married pair of environmental clean up specialists, a hair stylist, and Christina Toney, a bookkeeper, who said, ‘I just hope it’s safe. I hope we’re ok. Stressful times.'”

PERRYSHED DOCUMENTS — “Middletown GOP says they’ve filed campaign finance reports. NJ says they haven’t,” by NJ Advance Media’s Susanne Cervenka: “Middletown’s Republican party is facing accusations that it hasn’t filed campaign finance reports required by law in about four years. But Peter Carton, the leader of the Middletown Township Republican Executive Committee, said his party treasurer properly filed by mail all required reports, which document how much money the party takes in and where it is spent. Instead, he believes the reports are missing somewhere in the offices of New Jersey Election Law Enforcement Commission, the state agency tasked with making sure campaign finance laws are followed. ‘I think it’s a clerical error. She has filed them,’ he said. Nevertheless, Carton said the party’s treasurer, Alannah Perry, is recreating those documents and will file them with ELEC. Carton said the party did not have copies of the reports or records that show when the original reports were mailed to ELEC. Alannah Perry is the wife of Middletown Mayor Tony Perry and the daughter of Assemblyman Gerry Scharfenberger, R-Monmouth, who represents the 13th district.”

DRIVER’S ED — “School board member charged with DWI after cops say she was sleeping in her car near N.J. school,” by NJ Advance Media’s Anthony G. Attrino: “A school board member in Essex County faces driving while intoxicated and other charges after police said they found her sleeping in her car near a bar across from a grammar school. Officers found Erika Jacho, 41, slumped over the steering wheel about 12:50 a.m. on Tuesday outside Michael’s Roscommon House bar the 500 block of Joralemon Street, according to Belleville Police Lt. John McAloon … Jacho has been a member of the Belleville Board of Education since 2017 and is up for re-election this year … Police said Jacho’s car was parked, running and partially blocking the eastbound lane of the street outside the bar.”

R.I.P. — “Former Press columnist Randy Brandt dies at 67“

—“Asbury Park police now part of pilot program in mental health training”

—“Trenton officials provide few answers in double homicide of young brothers”

—Parker: “Trentonians unmoved by murder and mayhem”

—“Paterson mayor, council at odds over overtime pay in business administrator’s office”

—“Paterson Board of Education’s 4th COVID-19 case expands office shutdown”

—“South Jersey federal workers seek higher wages”

—“Ex-Long Branch school chief who left in scandal talks; other candidates mum”

—“Thousands of Jersey Shore ballots sent to wrong place; time running out to get yours”

DRUG ADDICTION — “N.J.’s drug epidemic continues unabated. How the public health crisis lurks in the shadow of the pandemic,” by NJ Advance Media’s Riley Yates and Alex Napoliello: “In a year dominated by the coronavirus, the opioid epidemic continues to rage behind the scenes, a deep-rooted, public health crisis claiming 3,000 lives each year in the state … That epidemic may be escalating, with New Jersey witnessing an 8% jump in overdose deaths this year. In the first eight months of 2020, 2,093 people are suspected to have died of drug overdoses, outpacing 2018 and 2019. The statistics in May were especially alarming: 309 deaths — an average of 10 a day — were recorded, the highest monthly total the New Jersey State Police has ever seen and 61 more than in May 2019. The COVID-19 pandemic has only made the despair of addiction worse, a broad consensus of experts in the recovery community told NJ Advance Media. Social isolation, financial pressures and disruptions in the state’s treatment network have hampered recovery efforts — and enabled those struggling with substance abuse to continue using undetected.”

ROBBING POLYMERS TO PAY PAULSBORO — “N.J. chemical company sues, says it didn’t cause pollution it paid $3.5M to clean up,” by NJ Advance Media’s Bill Duhart: “A South Jersey chemical manufacturer has filed a lawsuit accusing a nearby refinery of being the source of water pollution for which the manufacturer has paid ‘millions’ to remediate for more than a decade. Solvay Specialty Polymers — which had operated a facility in West Deptford, about 3 miles away from Paulsboro, for decades — said an investigation it recently concluded has determined Paulsboro Refining Company is the likely source of the substances —polyfluoroalkyl (‘PFAS’), perfluorononanoic acid (‘PFNA’), perfluorooctanoic acid (‘PFOA’), and perfluorooctanesulfonic acid (‘PFOS’) — contaminating water in parts of Paulsboro’s water system.”

—“With NJ child care in crisis due to COVID, women are leaving workforce in droves”

—“Willingboro entrepreneur aims to raise political profile of athletes, hip-hop stars”