DEMOCRATIC congressional candidates crushing GOP in fundraising — NJ TRANSIT capital funds still being diverted …

By Matt Friedman (mfriedman@politico.com; @mattfriedmannj):

SHOCK POLL!

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Bob Menendez only leads Bob Hugin by 2 points — within the margin of error, according to a Gravis poll published exclusively by… umm… Breitbart?

OK, putting aside that the poll appears to have been commissioned by or at least provided to a slavishly pro-Trump outlet, it did publish a copy of the poll questions. And to me, some results raise serious questions.

The biggest curiosity: President Trump has a 47 percent approval rating in New Jersey, according to this poll. Do you really believe that? That’s way higher than other public polls in New Jersey and higher than almost every national poll.

And 45 percent of respondents said they voted for Hillary Clinton for president, while 43 percent said they voted for Trump. Clinton won New Jersey by 14 points. Not two points. It’s a known phenomenon that poll respondents will say they voted for a winning candidate even when they didn’t. But this to me seems like a big enough difference to raise big questions.

Is it possible that the race between Menendez and Hugin is actually that close? Sure. Hugin has been on the air for months with ads slamming Menendez on corruption, and until now those ads haven’t been answered. Menendez’s 62 percent in the primary against the unknown, unfunded Lisa McCormick was definitely a warning sign.

But those two questionable results in this poll will keep me from taking it seriously until I see other polling outfits with similar results. There was that May FDU poll that showed a 4-point race between Menendez and Hugin. But it didn’t factor in leaners, which pollster Krista Jenkins told me could account for its difference between the Monmouth and Quinnipiac polls from earlier, which showed Menendez leading by 21 and 17 points, respectively.

I’m skeptical of this poll, to say the least. But I eagerly anticipate more public polling on this race.

WHERE’S MURPHY? Attending Law Enforcement Survivors Day in Seaside Heights at 11 am.

QUOTE OF THE DAY: “Not only is his behavior shameful, but his behavior is also indicative of somebody who has something to hide, or is guilty of something” — U.S. Sen. Cory Booker on President Trump’s press conference with Vladimir Putin

TWEET OF THE DAY: @GovCTW (Christie Whitman): “Mr #President, you should be ashamed. To deny your own country and government in favor of a foriegn leader whose country has, for decades, tried to undermine the #UnitedStates is irrational and dangerous. Please step down, you are not fit to lead this great #nation. #TrumpPutin”

** A message from Teach NJS: New Jersey is focused on increasing student safety at New Jersey schools – but not all of them. Security for nonpublic schools is significantly underfunded and the inequity has grown dramatically this year. Let’s fix this disparity. All children are New Jersey’s children and should be safe wherever they go to school. **

HAPPY BIRTHDAY — Essex County Clerk Chris Durkin, Gordon staffer Scott Devlin, NJ DEP’s Lloyd Naideck
WHAT TRENTON MADE

DIVERTED — NJ Transit to divert $511M from capital funds to pay for operating costs, by POLITICO’s Ryan Hutchins: New Jersey Gov. Phil Murphy has repeatedly blasted former Gov. Chris Christie’s stewardship of NJ Transit, saying his predecessor turned the commuter agency into “a house of gimmicks” and that his new administration will get “get the system back to fiscal health.” But the first-year governor is about to carry on one of the single-most criticized practices of NJ Transit under Christie: The use of capital funds to pay for routine maintenance needs. Agency board members are scheduled to vote Tuesday on a $2.3 billion operating budget that will rely on nearly $511 million in state and federal capital funding, a $50 million increase from the fiscal year that ended in June, according to a budget overview. The boost came at the behest of state lawmakers, who sought to reduce the amount of direct state subsidy Murphy planned to send to the agency. The Legislature also increased the amount of money diverted from the New Jersey Turnpike Authority, further reducing the direct state support. Murphy, after a months-long feud with Democratic legislative leaders, ultimately signed a budget this month that increases NJ Transit’s direct state support by just $167 million. He had spent months touting a $242 million increase included in the spending plan he proposed in March. Read the report

NEW PLAN: IF ALL PUBLIC EMPLOYEES CHANGE THEIR NAMES TO ‘DANA REDD’ SWEENEY WILL QUINTUPLE THEIR PENSIONS — “More cuts to NJ pensions and health benefits? Not so fast, says Phil Murphy,” by The Record’s Charles Stile: “Senate President Stephen Sweeney’s plan to wring savings out of government is also putting the squeeze on Gov. Phil Murphy. Emboldened after out-dueling Murphy in last month’s budget drama, the Gloucester County Democrat says he wants to enlist the governor as his ‘partner”’in this smaller-, smarter-government enterprise. Murphy, the ex-diplomat, wants no part of it. And that may be due to a simple reason: Sweeney’s cost-cutting ax could fall hard on public employee unions, a die-hard Murphy constituency. So it comes as no surprise that Murphy, in a roundabout way, said no when asked if he would team up with Sweeney for the next crusade. Murphy prefers to negotiate savings at the bargaining table. ‘The problem I have of re-cutting a deal on the pension side is that we have left the public-sector employees at the altar now for 20 years,’’ Murphy said in an interview with The Record and NorthJersey.com, referring to the reckless practice of shortchanging or skipping the state’s annual pension payments since the mid-1990s. Workers ‘have done what they said they would do. We haven’t as a state. And I think reclaiming the trust factor is a big deal. And that’s a big deal for me,’’ he said.” Read the report

AS USUAL, MANHATTANITES BLAME NEW JERSEY FOR THE SMELL ON THEIR STREETS — “In New Jersey, legal marijuana is so close you can smell it. But it could be awhile,” by The New York Times’ Nicholas Corasaniti: “More than halfway through the governor’s first year, the effort has stalled. It once looked like the plan could sail through the state Legislature, which is controlled by Democrats and where it has support from Stephen M. Sweeney, the Senate president. But an intraparty battle over the state budget consumed Trenton’s recent attention. And resistance from some Democratic lawmakers has emerged as an obstacle. ‘I would hope we could do it this year,’ Mr. Murphy said in an interview, stressing that it was worth a delay to make sure the bill was comprehensive and covered all relevant issues and concerns. Nicholas P. Scutari, a Democratic senator from northern New Jersey who has led the legalization effort, said a bill could still pass this summer.’“In August: committee hearings and voting session, just for marijuana,’ he promised.” Read the report

— “N.J. seeks to double number of medical-marijuana dispensaries,” by Bloomberg’s Elise Young: “Governor Phil Murphy’s administration is seeking to double the number of medical-marijuana dispensaries in New Jersey after expanding a list of conditions eligible for treatment. The most densely populated U.S. state will have as many as 12 regulated outlets, according to a statement Monday from Murphy’s office. The new dispensaries will include two in each of the northern, central and southern regions.” Read the report

BAIL REFORM — “Ex-N.J. attorney general: We must fix the American bail system. N.J. is the model,” by Christopher Porrino and Eli Honig for The Star-Ledger: “New Jersey’s new system went into effect last year. We now have enough data to declare unequivocally that bail reform in New Jersey is a sweeping success. In 2017 — the first year when judges could consider danger in denying cash bail to arrestees — New Jersey’s violent crime index fell by 5.7 percent, including a 14.3 percent drop in murders and significant decreases in robbery, assault and burglary rates. At the same time — with indigent, low-risk arrestees eligible for release without having to post cash bail — New Jersey’s pretrial county jail population fell by a staggering 20.3 percent. Given the conservative estimate that incarceration of pre-trial inmates costs $100 per person, per day, that reduction equates to over $53 million per year in taxpayer savings. And, statistics show, those low-risk defendants who spend less time in jail are less likely to commit future crimes. In other words, lose-lose-lose became win-win-win. Now, the only question is what is the rest of the country waiting for?” Read the op-ed

WAS MASTRO TOO BUSY? — “Outside investigator will probe why grandma’s power was shut off before death,” by NJ Advance Media’s Karen Yi: “An outside lawyer hired by PSE&G will conduct an independent investigation into what happened when the utility company shut power to the home of 68-year-old Linda Daniels, who died hours later. PSE&G announced Friday it hired Ted Wells of the law firm of Paul, Weiss, Rifkind, Wharton & Garrison, to investigate the company’s actions that prompted Daniels’ service to be disconnected. Wells will share his findings with the state Board of Public Utilities, which is also probing the incident.” Read the report

—“JCP&L wants approval for $400M upgrades to its grid” Read the report

HURRY UP, BEFORE PEOPLE SPEND THE MONEY ON FOOD AND CLOTHES FOR THEIR CHILDREN — “Deadline looms for Atlantic City casinos to get sports betting before NFL kickoff,” by The AP: “Time is running out for some Atlantic City gambling companies that plan to offer legal sports betting in New Jersey before football season starts. The state Division of Gaming Enforcement has directed the Atlantic City casinos to get their sports betting applications in by the end of the day on Monday. This also includes plans for internet and mobile sports betting, which no casino in New Jersey has yet been approved to offer.” Read the report

—”State gets 5 more sports betting applications” Read the report

BUT IT’S 1919 AND WE’RE THE WHITE SOX — “NJ Transit plan is ‘a new ballgame’ for Portal Bridge replacement, feds say,” by The Record’s Curtis Tate: “NJ Transit’s plan to seek $600 million in local financing to replace the aging Portal Bridge between Newark and New York is ‘a new ballgame,’ according to the same federal official who had previously cast doubt on the project. NJ Transit submitted the new plan to the Federal Transit Administration last month in hopes of raising the project’s rating by the agency, which downgraded it last year. Still, the federal agency’s acting head, K. Jane Williams, said it will take months to evaluate the new plan, and supporters of the project could be waiting until as late as Jan. 31 for an answer as to whether the federal government will come through with significant funds. ‘It won’t take a day or two or a month,’ Williams told reporters on a conference call Monday. ‘It will take months.’” Read the report

SERENATY NOW! — “Legislators seek probe of DiMaso phone call,” by New Jersey Globe’s David Wildstein: “Two Democratic legislators have filed complaint against Republican Assemblywoman Serena DiMaso alleging that a robocall she recorded attacking them earlier this month spoofed their district office phone number. Assemblyman Eric Houghtaling (D-Neptune) and Assemblywoman Joann Downey (D-Freehold) have asked the state Attorney General and the New Jersey Joint Committee on Ethical Standards to investigate DiMaso, and filed a complaint against her with the Federal Communications Commission, saying that DiMaso violated the Truth-In-Caller ID Act when an automated dialing system was programmed to show their phone number as the originator of the robocall. DiMaso’s robocall, delivered to some voters in the neighboring 11th district, criticized the Democrats for their support of the state budget. The calls were paid for by the Assembly Republican victory caucus. The allegations against DiMaso are potentially serious. In 2014, the state indicted a Republican political operative working for a primary opponent for making 4 AM robocalls that purported to be from GOP legislators Joe Kyrillos, Declan O’Scanlon and Amy Handlin and spoofed the Monmouth GOP headquarters phone number. In 2012, an aide to former Assemblyman Paul DiGaetano pled guilty to charges that he spoofed the phone number of a Wayne councilwoman.” Read the report

—“Pharma giant Teva promises to create over 800 jobs in N.J. Are they worth $40M?” Read the report

—“Former Gov. Chris Christie joins drug recovery board” Read the report

— “Buoy to scout way for New Jersey offshore wind energy farm” Read the report

—“Couple got $500K settlement after claiming troopers beat man on the Turnpike” Read the report

TRUMP ERA

NO AMOUNT OF GOTTHEIMER’S MONEY CAN OVERCOME MCCANN’S ENDORSEMENT BY… UHHH.. SEB GORKA — “New Jersey Democratic House candidates crushing Republicans in fundraising,” by POLITICO’s Matt Friedman: Theoretically, freshman Democratic Rep. Josh Gottheimer should be in a competitive race this November in New Jersey‘s 5th Congressional District. Gottheimer was, after all, elected in 2016 in a district that President Donald Trump won and has been held by Republicans for decades. His victory was the result, in no small part, of backlash from then-Republican Rep. Scott Garrett’s alleged anti-gay remarks. But if money means anything, Gottheimer has little to worry about. He has more than $4.5 million in his campaign account, while his GOP opponent, John McCann, has just $6,492.46, according to reports filed with the FEC. Gottheimer’s North Jersey district is the most extreme example of fundraising discrepancies between New Jersey Democrats and Republicans in districts that are considered competitive this year — or at least once were. The trend exists throughout the state. Fueled by anti-Trump anger and activism, Democrats aren’t just dominating Republicans in fundraising, they’re crushing them, according to the filings. “It shows that New Jersey does not like Donald Trump and they’re going to take it out on the House elections,” said Matt Hale, a professor of political science at Seton Hall University. Of New Jersey’s 12 congressional districts, six are considered at least somewhat competitive this year. Five of the seats are held by Republicans, two of whom are retiring. In the six competitive districts, Democratic candidates have nearly four times as much money in the bank as Republicans: $11.8 million to $3.1 million, according to the FEC filings.” Read the report

—“Shattering NJ record, Mikie Sherrill raises $1.9 million for House race” Read the report

ICE TAKES A BREAK FROM SLOWLY REUNITING CHILDREN WITH THEIR PARENTS TO BRING YOU THIS IMPORTANT MESSAGE — “ICE arrests 37 immigrants in sweep; slams N.J. county for being a ‘sanctuary’,” by NJ Advance Media’s Kelly Heyboer: “Immigrants accused of sexual assault, driving under the influence, burglary and domestic violence were among 37 arrested in a five-day ‘enforcement surge’ in Middlesex County, immigration officials said Monday. The 37 people arrested by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement included 16 who were released by the the Middlesex County Jail, which is located in one of the New Jersey counties that has a policy of limiting cooperation with federal immigration officials. ‘Middlesex County, which aspires to be a ‘sanctuary county’ by protecting criminal aliens, in the process assists criminals in undermining federal law, and creates a dangerous environment in the community,’ said Ruben Perez, acting field office director of Enforcement and Removal Operations in ICE’s Newark office.” Read the report

—“I was arrested for protesting. ‘Abolish ICE’ may sound extreme or radical. It’s not” Read the op-ed

CHRISTIE: ASSOCIATION WITH TRUMP GETTING YOU DOWN? LET ME HELP — Pro-Hugin super PAC has ties to Christie, by POLITICO’s Matt Friedman: A super PAC with ties to former New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie plans to spend big to unseat Democratic Sen. Bob Menendez in November. Integrity NJ, a super PAC that formed in February, had been quiet about its intentions until Monday, when it announced it had raised $2 million to boost the election effort of Republican Senate nominee Bob Hugin, who’s already put $15.5 million of his own money into his campaign against Menendez. Integrity NJ’s entire fundraising haul came from just eight donors, according to campaign filing reports with the Federal Election Commission. The PAC‘s existence was first reported in New Jersey Playbook in March. Its ties to Hugin were revealed in April Read the report

GOING OZ AT OPPORTUNITY ZONE — “Here’s one thing Phil Murphy and Cory Booker like about Trump tax law,” by NJ Advance Media’s Brent Johnson: Gov. Phil Murphy has never been shy about denouncing the federal tax overhaul that President Donald Trump signed into law this past December. He’s called it a ‘scam’ that leaves New Jerseyans ‘screwed.’ But there’s one thing he likes about it. Murphy and U.S. Sen. Cory Booker — both Democrats and both vocal critics of the Republican president — on Monday praised the Economic Opportunity Zone program, which encourages investment in troubled communities across the country. Booker and U.S. Sen. Tim Scott, R-S.C., worked to make sure the law included the bipartisan program It allows investors to pump money into new projects and developments in low-income areas in exchange for having federal capital gains taxes deferred. ‘It’s the only darned part of the federal tax bill we like,’ Murphy said during a panel discussion at Rutgers-Newark. ‘We’re head over heels in love with this.’” Read the report

—“NJ reaction: Widespread condemnation after Trump appearance with Putin” Read the report

—“Looks like Trump is returning to N.J. this weekend” Read the report

—“Did you know it now costs more to ship packages to the troops? This N.J. rep wants to stop that” Read the report

LOCAL

YOU’RE SO VAINIERI. YOU PROBABLY THINK THIS CONTRACT’S ABOUT YOU —“Freeholders, under fire for new ICE contract, award themselves pay raises,” by The Jersey Journal’s Terrence T. McDonald: “Hudson County’s nine freeholders were already the highest paid freeholders in the state, and on Thursday they voted to award themselves 2.5 percent pay increases. The salary hikes, which also apply to department heads and other county officials, were approved by a 5-0-2 vote at the freeholders’ Thursday meeting, after the body enraged liberal activists by approving a new contract with U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement. Freeholder Chair Anthony Vainieri Jr., who represents North Bergen, voted in favor of the pay increases and alluded to the ICE controversy when reached by phone on Monday. ‘For what I’m getting put through, they should double my salary,’ Vainieri told The Jersey Journal. The freeholder chair’s salary is rising from $46,774 to $47,943, the vice chair’s pay will jump from $45,754 to $46,898 and the other seven members’ pay will go from $43,714 to $44,807. The freeholder position is a part-time gig. Most of the current nine members have full-time jobs. All nine are Democrats.” Read the report

LAKEWOOD ALWAYS UP TO NO GOOD — “Lakewood police crash unit under federal investigation, subpoena shows,” by The Asbury Park Press’ Stacy Barchenger and Andrew Ford: “Lakewood Police Department’s traffic crash investigation unit is under the microscope of federal authorities, a subpoena obtained by the Asbury Park Press shows. A federal grand jury subpoena dated in April sought all records related to deadly and serious injury crashes the Lakewood Police Department Traffic Safety Unit responded to, or “had any involvement with,” since January 2014. The department was ordered to produce the records by May 15 and contact the Federal Bureau of Investigation. The reason for the federal investigation, or what sparked it, is not specified in the subpoena, and public officials have declined to comment on the investigation. However, at least one deadly crash that occurred during the period covered by the subpoena had sparked a separate review by another law enforcement agency. In August 2014, 52-year-old David ‘Rudy’ Gaines was riding a motorcycle when he was hit by a sedan on Cedar Bridge Avenue. He died at a hospital about an hour later. Lakewood police Sgt. Frank Work investigated the crash, and municipal court judge Scott Basen ultimately acquitted the van’s driver — Avrohom Zeffren — after trial, according to court records. Work supervises the traffic safety unit inside Lakewood Police Department. The Ocean County Prosecutor’s Office’s top internal affairs investigator sought all records, including court documents, related to the ‘Gaines/Work Investigation’ in February.” Read the report

R.I.P. — “Fourth child dies of injuries from Union City fire,” by The Jersey Journal’s Caitlin Mota: “A fourth child has died days after a devastating fire tore through a home on 25th Street on Friday morning. The Hudson County Prosecutor’s Office confirmed the 13-year-old boy’s death on social media this morning. Authorities said a 2-year-old boy, a 5-year-old girl, and 7-year-old boy died on the day of the blaze. TV reports have identified the first two children as Jason Gonzalez, and Mailyn Wood. The other boy was identified as Jason’s brother, Christian.” Read the report

DOG DAY AFTERNOON — “Pug mug: Dog’s stint in shore town’s jail goes viral,” by NJ Advance Media’s Gianluca D’Elia: “A dog visiting Cape May this weekend was living the pug life. Bean the pug escaped from her owner’s Cape May home, and she had no idea the police department had a little fun with her dog – including a mug shot and time in the jail cell – or that it would go viral. Bean was collared after sneaking through yards in the 1300 block of New Jersey Avenue, Cape May police said Sunday afternoon.” Read the report

NEWARK — “Neighborhood thinks veterans ‘are not worthy to live next door,’ lawsuit claims,” by The Star-Ledger’s Barry Carter: “A multi-service agency from Irvington is not going quietly in its fight to house homeless veterans in Newark. Independence: A Family of Services Inc. has filed a lawsuit in federal court, accusing Newark and the Central Planning Board of discrimination against veterans when the board rejected its application in April. The lawsuit, filed last month, said the veterans, including some with disabilities such as Post Traumatic Stress Disorder, are a protected class of citizens under the Fair Housing Act, Americans with Disabilities Act and the Rehabilitation Act. The City of Newark, which supported the plan, could not be reached for a comment.” Read the column

—“Edison looking for new school superintendent” Read the report

—“L.A. Parker: Here are a few ideas for how to start Trenton in the right direction” Read the column

—“High-ranking prosecutor fired in Ocean County” Read the report

—“Eatontown approves Kushner Cos.’ Monmouth Mall redesign” Read the report

EVERYTHING ELSE

CARDINAL SIN — “He preyed on men who wanted to be priests. Then he became a cardinal,” by The New York Times’ Laurie Goodstein and Sharon Otterman: “As a young man studying to be a priest in the 1980s, Robert Ciolek was flattered when his brilliant, charismatic bishop in Metuchen, N.J., Theodore E. McCarrick, told him he was a shining star, cut out to study in Rome and rise high in the church. Bishop McCarrick began inviting him on overnight trips, sometimes alone and sometimes with other young men training to be priests. There, the bishop would often assign Mr. Ciolek to share his room, which had only one bed. The two men would sometimes say night prayers together, before Bishop McCarrick would make a request — ‘come over here and rub my shoulders a little’— that extended into unwanted touching in bed. Mr. Ciolek, who was in his early 20s at the time, said he felt unable to say no, in part because he had been sexually abused by a teacher in his Catholic high school, a trauma he had shared with the bishop … Bishop McCarrick went on to climb the ranks of the Roman Catholic hierarchy — from head of the small Diocese of Metuchen to archbishop of Newark and then archbishop of Washington, where he was made a cardinal. He remained into his 80s one of the most recognized American cardinals on the global stage, a Washington power broker who participated in funeral masses for political luminaries like Edward M. Kennedy, the longtime Massachusetts senator, and Beau Biden, the son of former Vice President Joseph R. Biden Jr. Suddenly, last month, Cardinal McCarrick was removed from ministry, after the Archdiocese of New York deemed credible an accusation that he had molested a 16-year-old altar boy nearly 50 years ago.” Read the report

—“Merchant ship sunk by Nazi U-boat off Cape May reveals secret that is changing an episode in WWII history books” Read the report

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