As Murphy secures DGA role, Brennan hearing imperils his political future – Politico

Good Monday morning!

We learned Saturday that Gov. Murphy has been selected as chairman-elect of the Democratic Governors Association, setting him up to chair it in 2019. We were first to report his interest on Friday.

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Here we go again. As you will easily recall, former Gov. Chris Christie led the Republican Governors Association for the 2014 election and spent a large amount of time out of state stumping for other candidates in what was a lead up to his failed presidential bid.

Do I think Murphy’s running for president in 2020? No. In 2024, if President Trump is re-elected? Well, it seems that just about everyone who becomes New Jersey governor has bigger ambitions.

But that depends on a lot going right for Murphy. And our state has a way of dragging people down. Perhaps the biggest early test for Murphy’s political future, as Tom Moran pointed out in his latest column, will come Tuesday. That’s the day Katie Brennan testifies before the special legislative investigative committee about her allegation that as a Murphy campaign volunteer, she was sexually assaulted by staffer Al Alvarez, who went on to take a senior position in the Murphy administration.

Brennan’s testimony, no matter what, won’t be great for Murphy. At the least, it will once again raise questions about how much Murphy knew about her allegation. We know, for instance, that Brennan reached out to Murphy in June 2018 to talk about a “sensitive matter” and that he wrote back, 41 minutes later, “Hang in. We are on it.” We know that Alvarez kept his job for several months after that. And Murphy said he only found out about the allegations shortly before the news broke.

“I have taken every step that I could, and none of it brought justice. All that I had left was my voice,” Brennan told Moran.

So, when Murphy said “we are on it,” what did he know? Did he actually know about Brennan’s allegation, as saying “on it” might suggest? Did he choose not to know about Brennan’s allegations? Or was he truly ignorant of them?

WHERE’S MURPHY? In Elizabeth for a 10 a.m. ACA enrollment press conference, followed by a noon Nestle facility ribbon-cutting ceremony in Bridgewater

HAPPY BIRTHDAY — Lobbyist Kay Licausi, Clean Water Action’s Amy Goldsmith

QUOTE OF THE DAY: “My voice is my power. Survivors, or some survivors, have found solace and power in their voice. I am calling for changes. I want the changes. And I will keep calling for changes until I see some meaningful action.” — Katie Brennan

SILENT TREATMENT — “How bad are things between Murphy and Dem leaders? They’re not even talking, and he won’t dole out Jets tickets,” by NJ Advance Media’s Matt Arco: “State lawmakers’ investigation into Gov. Phil Murphy’s administration over its handling of a staffer’s sexual assault allegation has ratcheted up distrust between the governor and his fellow Democrats who control the New Jersey Legislature, NJ Advance Media has learned. The result? Big picture, the state’s top leaders haven’t met privately for nearly two months. It’s no better on the daily transactional level. For example, Murphy’s office yanked complimentary football tickets away from the co-chairwoman of the legislative committee investigating the allegations, sources say. The freshman governor’s partnership with Senate President Stephen Sweeney and Assembly Speaker Craig Coughlin had already hit speed bumps in the past 11 months. But face-to-face communication ground to a halt in the wake of the inquiry just as Murphy wants to end the year by signing into law two of his big priorities: a $15 minimum wage and legal adult-use marijuana.” Read more here

—“The Lawmaker Driving New Jersey’s Sexual-Assault Inquiry,” by The Wall Street Journal’s Kate King: “State Senate Majority Leader Loretta Weinberg, an 83-year-old grandmother who barely tops 5 feet tall, hasn’t shied away from delving into sensitive issues, particularly those involving women’s rights, during her 26 years in the state legislature … ‘It is very obvious to me that large mistakes were made here,’ Ms. Weinberg, a Democrat, said. ‘There were too many questions, too much apparent secrecy along the way.’ … Two decades ago, when [Peter] Verniero was attorney general, Ms. Weinberg pushed to investigate another misconduct scandal in Trenton involving then-Assembly Speaker Chuck Haytaian, a Republican who was sued for sexual harassment. At the time, Ms. Weinberg was an assemblywoman in the minority party. She and a female colleague pushed for lawmakers to look into why the state had quietly paid more than $300,000 in settlement and legal costs in 1997 to resolve a lawsuit against Mr. Haytaian without conducting an investigation. Reached by phone Friday, Mr. Haytaian denied the allegation. ‘That whole thing was settled,” he said. Ms. Weinberg said her colleagues advised her to back off. ‘I was told by people in my own caucus, ‘stop doing this because you’ll never get a bill posted,’ she said.” Read more here

—“Sweeney calls on Murphy to meet and hash out legislative issues” Read more here

MURPHYCARE — New Jersey Obamacare enrollment trending down despite push from Murphy, by POLITICO’s Sam Sutton: Despite a steep reduction in premiums and an enrollment drive backed by Gov. Phil Murphy, New Jersey is on track to sign up significantly fewer individuals for Obamacare health plans in 2019, according to tracking data released by the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services. As of Nov. 24, with three weeks remaining in New Jersey’s enrollment period, roughly 66,500 residents were signed up for 2019 health care plans offered through the Obamacare exchange. Through the same period last year, more than 79,200 residents had enrolled. Those results struck many of the state’s health care observers by surprise, particularly in light of the Murphy administration’s ongoing efforts to drum up support for exchange plans. Read more here

LAND GREEN — “Murphy soccer team pulls support for stadium that would level acres of forest,” by POLITICO’s Danielle Muoio: “The soccer team owned by Gov. Phil Murphy has pulled its support for a soccer stadium that, if built, would result in the destruction of thousands of trees. ‘Due to environmental concerns that have been brought to our attention, Sky Blue FC is withdrawing our support for the Trophy Park project application,’ Tony Novo, president and general manager of Sky Blue FC, said in a statement to POLITICO.” Read more here

WE MUST RIG THE MAP IN ORDER TO SAVE IT — “To combat gerrymandering, N.J. Democrats propose drawing maps to entrench their power,” by The Philadelphia Inquirer’s Jonathan Lai and Andrew Seidman: “While wrapped in the language of anti-gerrymandering redistricting reform, the proposed constitutional amendment largely ignores best practices and instead orders mapmakers to impose Democrats’ advantage in statewide elections onto local legislative districts … The proposal is particularly striking because Democrats nationally have sought to position themselves as the party of good government, including opposing gerrymandering. Former President Barack Obama has personally focused on the issue. And a growing number of states have adopted redistricting reforms to minimize partisan politics in the mapmaking process. ‘This is not how we achieve fair maps,’ Helen Kioukis, a staffer at the nonpartisan League of Women Voters of New Jersey, told lawmakers Monday. ‘When all other states are moving forward and improving this fundamental component of our democracy, New Jersey is moving backward with a proposal that’s nothing more than a partisan gerrymandering bill.’” Read more here

PORT AUTHORITY TO RECRUIT PEOPLE PUSHERS FROM TOKYO — “PATH riders are used to the overcrowding. Now commuters say it’s getting dangerous,” by NJ Advance Media’s Larry Higgs: “People who commute on PATH are accustomed to the crowded platforms, the packed trains and the mad rush to get onboard. In recent days, however, commuters say the commuter crush at PATH station platforms has become so bad it borders on being dangerous and unsafe. Overcrowding was reported by commuters Thursday on social media at PATH’s Grove Street, Exchange Place, Newark Penn Station and Newport stations. The crowding and movement of the mass of people surging toward and away from packed trains left riders concerned for their safety and questioning how the PATH is handling crowd control. Some riders called it worse than the infamous crowding on the New York City subway … When asked, PATH officials issued a statement on the delays but did not address questions asked about crowd control or why PATH didn’t authorize cross honoring on NJ Transit buses and light rail trains.” Read more here

—“PATH train completes crucial safety upgrade before deadline” Read more here

OUTBREAK — “‘You didn’t care enough to help my child.’ Parents want to know what happened at facility as viral outbreak raged,” by NJ Advance Media’s Spencer Kent: “On Monday, the state Senate will hold a hearing to try and answer the series of questions that have been raised about how the Haskell facility handled the outbreak of adenovirus, which has claimed the lives of 11 children and infected dozens more. Tamara Cooper and Dondre Mills Sr., whose 2-year-old son Dondre Mills Jr. died from an adenovirus-related illness on Oct. 23, are one of the families still looking for answers. The parents say the facility delayed sending their child to the hospital, even as he was growing increasingly ill. They also question why the facility did not alert them to the outbreak … ‘By the time he got to St. Joseph’s, his respiration was so bad … So they waited until the last minute to where he could have received something to intervene,’ she said. ‘But you chose to keep him on the unit, and you refused to send him early.’” Read more here

—“Adenovirus outbreak: Wanaque nursing home workers speak of grief, stress” Read more here

—“Did Medicaid money drive decisions on the care of critically ill kids at N.J. pediatric care facility?” Read more here

AFTER CHASING AMAZON WITH A HUGE TAX BREAK — “Small businesses get the love from NJ after years of tax breaks for big guys,” by NJ Spotlight’s John Reitmeyer: “The Murphy administration is shifting more focus to small-business programs through the Economic Development Authority — a major change for an agency that has primarily catered to big corporations in the past. The Trenton-based EDA in recent weeks has launched a new, dedicated unit that is working only with New Jersey-based small businesses in the state, providing them with technical and financial support, among other services. The EDA also recently created a $15-million loan program geared specifically toward small businesses and made changes to other EDA lending program rules that will benefit small companies.” Read more here

—“More oil trains? Perth Amboy terminal could become hub for crude exports” Read more here

—”Making housing the priority for homeless people in NJ — over treatment or sobriety” Read more here

—“Bill banning shark fin sales advances in N.J. Legislature” Read more here

MANY NJ REPUBLICANS TO INSIST THIS HAS NOTHING TO DO WITH TRUMP — “NJ voter turnout was highest for a midterm since 1982,” by NJ 101.5’s Michael Symons: “Fifty-six percent of registered voters turned out for this year’s general election in New Jersey, according to election results published by the 21 county clerks. That’s up significantly from 36 percent in the midterm election four years earlier and the highest for a midterm since 1982. “It’s amazing. Voter turnout was near presidential levels in this election,” said Monmouth University political scientist Patrick Murray. ‘This was just an election that people felt mattered. And it certainly was higher in those races which were competitive, and we had a lot of them in New Jersey, which helps. But they were even high in places that weren’t considered competitive.’ Two-thirds more voters participated this year than in the 2014 midterms, with the largest increases in Hudson, Morris and Essex counties. Turnout percentages were closest to matching the 2016 presidential race in Burlington, Hunterdon, Morris and Somerset counties, at 85 percent or higher.” Read more here

CHRIS SMITH’S REWARD FOR BEING ONLY NJ REPUBLICAN CONGRESSMAN TO WIN REELECTION — “Trump delivers on promise with Atlantic offshore testing. It could cost him GOP allies,” by McClatchy’s Stuart Leavenworth: “The Trump administration on Friday approved key permits that could allow seismic testing to go forward on the Atlantic Coast, a prelude to offshore oil drilling and a move that is antagonizing Republican governors and lawmakers in the Southeast, whose support the president will need in a 2020 re-election bid. The National Marine Fisheries Service, an arm of the U.S. Commerce Department, agreed Friday to let five companies cause possible harm to wildlife in conducting seismic testing between northern Delaware and central Florida. That testing is expected to provide oil companies with valuable data on which parts of the coastal shelf contain oil deposits that could be extracted through offshore drilling platforms.” Read more here

—”Judge rules DOJ can’t force local law enforcement to help ICE” Read more here

—“’A true American leader’: NJ officials remember George H.W. Bush” Read more here

—“George H.W. Bush in New Jersey through the years” Photo gallery

—“Pascrell, Sires, Payne likely to get subcommittee chairs” Read more here

CARTOON BREAK — “’Tis the season to be jolly…legally,” by Drew Sheneman See the cartoon

YOU’RE MORE LIKELY TO GO TO JAIL FOR WEED THAN FOR NO-SHOW POLICE JOBS — “Jersey City tells cops to keep arresting people for pot,” by The Jersey Journal’s Terrence T. McDonald: “In a memo sent Monday by Deputy Police Chief Mark Miller, all police personnel were told they must arrest anyone they suspect of possessing marijuana, even small amounts. The warning comes five months after Mayor Steve Fulop announced on Twitter that his administration began deprioritizing marijuana arrests at the end of 2017, and as state lawmakers are on the cusp of legalizing recreational weed. It’s not clear what led Miller to issue the memo, but sources with knowledge of the decision said it came after an officer reported not arresting someone suspected of possessing pot.” Read more here

LIVIN’ ON THE EDGEWATER — “Edgewater officials have close ties to developer, court documents show,” by The Record’s Tom Nobile: “Mayor Michael McPartland resides in The Alexander, a luxury apartment building owned by real estate magnate Fred Daibes. … But McPartland’s rent, according to rent rolls, is nearly $1,000 less than what other tenants pay for identical units. And in August 2017, zoning board member Jeffrey Mathieu sent an email to Daibes asking for his opinion on a rival development. … The emails and rent totals are among several documents included as evidence in a federal lawsuit accusing borough officials of conspiring with Daibes to drive out competitors. The suit, filed by River Road Partners, alleges that Daibes offers financial favors and other benefits in return for political influence.” Read more here

RUH ROH — “Palisades Park councilman sent racist, sexist chain letters to friends,” by The Record’s Steve Janoski and Katie Sobko: “Recently released emails from the borough reveal that a councilman, who has been accused of making homophobic slurs against a school board member, has also been forwarding racist and sexist chain letters from his personal email account to a group of acquaintances. Henry Ruh, a Democratic councilman and former borough police captain, did not author the letters, according to his attorney. But their contents, released after a public records request by NorthJersey.com and the USA TODAY Network New Jersey, appear out-of-step in Palisades Park, a deeply diverse community of about 21,000 … The emails Ruh forwarded often cited right-wing conspiracy theories as foundations for attacks on Muslims. One email, which Ruh forwarded in July 2017, quoted a non-existent Supreme Court decision supposedly banning Sharia law in the United States.” Read more here

—“The 25 police departments that used kicks, pepper spray or other force the most, ranked” Read more here

—”Ann Klein guards detail brutal gang rape, escalating violence at troubled psychiatric center” Read more here.

—“Toxic Secrets: NJ denies controversial groundwater cleanup plan in Pompton Lakes” Read more here

—“L.A. Parker: Murder of Shaela Johnson delivered another troubling homicide to Trenton’s violent landscape” Read more here

—“6-figure mayors: At least 43 NJ mayors make more than $100K from taxpayers” Read more here

—“McGreevey re-entry program headed for new location in Paterson” Read more here

—“How a $15 minimum wage may affect some shore businesses” Read more here

A GREAT MIRACLE HAPPENED THERE — “River Edge school unofficially breaks world record for dreidel spinning,” by The Record’s Stephanie Noda: “Students at the Rosenbaum Yeshiva of North Jersey spun their way into history Friday morning by setting an unofficial world record for playing a beloved Hanukkah game. At 11 a.m., 1,369 children from nursery school to eighth grade, plus staff members, spun dreidels in the Jewish school’s gymnasium in an attempt to break the record for most dreidels spun at the same time. The previous record of 965 was set at a 2017 National Jamboree carnival by Boy Scouts in West Virginia.” Read more here

PRACTICE SAFE LIGHTHOUSING — “N.J’s answer to saving East Point Lighthouse: A 900-foot ‘Geotube’,” by The Press of Atlantic City’s Avalon Zoppo: “East Point Lighthouse, a 150-year-old structure on the Delaware Bay in Maurice River Township, is increasingly threatened by rising sea levels and beach erosion. This month, the state outlined a short-term solution to protect the historic lighthouse — one of the oldest in New Jersey — from coastal flooding in a meeting with members of the local historical society that manages the building. The New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection is placing a 900-foot Geotube from a nearby boat ramp to the bulkhead, said DEP spokesman Larry Hajna. Geotubes are large, durable tubes made of synthetic material that are filled with sand.” Read more here

—“Uncertain future for beloved Morristown Fiber Fairies as winter approaches” Read more here

—“Founder of famed Fugees tied to Malaysian billionaire’s money laundering scheme” Read more here