Latest news with #NewJerseyElectionLawEnforcementCommission
New York Post
25-07-2025
- Politics
- New York Post
New Jersey meeting to decide host of fall election debate stalled by ‘Zoom bomb' flashing racist, antisemitic, pornographic material
A meeting between a New Jersey election committee and multiple venues vying to host the gubernatorial and lieutenant governor debates in the fall was halted after a mystery guest dropped a 'Zoom bomb' including racist, antisemitic and pornographic materials. The New Jersey Election Law Enforcement Commission held a virtual meeting with nine sponsors to narrow down the host for the gubernatorial general election debates and a singular discussion between the lieutenant governor candidates in the fall. The beginning of the meeting was largely uninterrupted as the ELEC members explained the process and agenda. Advertisement 3 The New Jersey Election Law Enforcement Commission's meeting held to decide the host of this fall's election debates was spoiled by a troll. AP The first presentation went off without a hitch. The second, led by WABC-TV New York/WPVI-TV Philadelphia/Rutgers Bloustein School of Planning and Public Policy, was plagued with inexplicable noises including alarms, ringtones and explosions, POLITICO reported. Advertisement The moderators interrupted to try and patch the source of the interruption and instructed anyone with their microphone still on to mute themselves. The grating noises stopped for a moment until one of the hopeful sponsors started to speak again. A series of pornographic images, including one with a Swastika, started to flash across the screen. At the same time, the audio fizzled into a recording of a song that repeated the N-word, according to the outlet. The chaos ensued for just a minute before the meeting was promptly shut down. Advertisement 3 The Zoom bomber flooded the meeting with antisemitic pornographic materials and audio of someone singing the N-word repeatedly. AP ELEC Chair Thomas Prol reached out to the offices of the governor and state attorney general to investigate the 'shocking breach of public trust,' he wrote on LinkedIn. 'They have put their top investigators on the hack that occurred. On behalf of my fellow commissioners and myself, I say this to those responsible: You will not disrupt democracy in New Jersey. We will find you and prosecute you,' Prol wrote. 'My office is aware of the disruption of today's virtual meeting of the Election Law Enforcement Commission, and the incident is being investigated by the Division of Criminal Justice. We will not tolerate any attempts to interfere with our democratic process,' Attorney General Matthew J. Platkin added in a statement obtained by The Post. Advertisement 3 The state's Attorney General's Office is investigating the Zoom bombing. Getty Images The commission rescheduled the selection process for next Tuesday with additional 'safeguards in place,' Prol added. Zoom bombing was a phenomenon bred from the COVID-19 pandemic as people across the world suddenly relied on the virtual communication platform to work and go to school. In February 2021, a squadron of Zoom bombers took aim at a New York City Council meeting and flooded the call with a mountain of lewd NSFW smut, including videos of people in the middle of having sex. Other trolls crashed a virtual AA meeting, taunting the recovering addicts by saying 'Alcohol is soooo good.'
Yahoo
04-06-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
New Jersey has given $37.5M in matching funds to governor hopefuls
Four of the candidates hoping to succeed a term-limited Gov. Phil Murphy have capped out their matching primary funds, receiving $5.5 million each. (Illustration by Alex Cochran for New Jersey Monitor) With less than a week left before the June 10 gubernatorial primaries, the New Jersey Election Law Enforcement Commission has disbursed nearly $37.5 million in public matching dollars to eight of the 11 candidates, the agency said Wednesday. Four of those hoping to succeed Gov. Phil Murphy — Democrats Jersey City Mayor Steve Fulop, Rep. Josh Gottheimer, and Rep. Mikie Sherrill, plus Republican former Assemblyman Jack Ciattarelli — have capped out their matching primary funds, receiving $5.5 million each. Democrats Newark Mayor Ras Baraka and ex-state Sen. Steve Sweeney and Republicans Sen. Jon Bramnick and former radio host Bill Spadea have not raised enough to receive the maximum amount of matching primary funds, according to the election law commission. Of those four, Sweeney has received the most public dollars, just under $5.3 million. Baraka's matching funds total $4.2 million. Bramnick, the only sitting legislator in the race, has received about $3.2 million from the program, while Spadea has gotten roughly $2.8 million. The gubernatorial public finance program offers candidates who meet fundraising and spending thresholds matching public dollars at a rate of 2-to-1 for every dollar candidates raise. In exchange, gubernatorial hopefuls agree to participate in debates hosted by the election law commission and observe spending limits. This year, candidates who participate in the program can spend no more than $8.7 million on primaries and up to $18.5 million for the general election. The amount of matching funds already disbursed this year exceeds all primary spending in 2017, New Jersey's last gubernatorial election with no incumbent seeking reelection. Then, all candidates across major and minor parties spent just under $34.5 million. Most of that spending came from Murphy, who did not participate in the public financing program during the 2017 primary and spent $22 million, including more than $16 million he loaned to his campaign. Murphy, who participated in the gubernatorial fund match in 2017's general election and through the entire 2021 cycle, is barred from seeking a third consecutive term. Three candidates did not qualify for matching funds. Teachers union president Sean Spiller was the only Democrat who did not raise and spend the $580,000 needed to qualify by the March 24 deadline. Spiller's candidacy is getting a major boost from an independent expenditure group with ties to his union that has spent $37.5 million so far urging voters to support Spiller in the primary. On the Republican side, former Englewood Cliffs Mayor Mario Kranjac and contractor Justin Barbera did not qualify for matching funds. SUBSCRIBE: GET THE MORNING HEADLINES DELIVERED TO YOUR INBOX
The Herald Scotland
03-06-2025
- Politics
- The Herald Scotland
What to know about contentious New Jersey governor primaries
"Jack has what it takes to win. He has my complete and total endorsement," Trump said during a five-minute speech. "It's being watched all over the world because New Jersey is ready to pop out of that blue horror show." New Jersey is one of two states to host a high-stakes gubernatorial election this November that could go a long way to determining which party has the political momentum heading into the 2026 midterms. Trump's virtual appearance came on the eve of early voting in the state's primary elections and where the two-term president's own fortunes are very much reliant on sustained GOP wins at the ballot box. New Jersey is guaranteed to see a fresh face leading the state after this year: Democratic Gov. Philip Murphy is term limited. But while the East coast state typically tilts blue, the general outcome is far from settled. Both parties have crowded candidate fields heading into the primaries on June 10, though Republicans can claim to have a slightly clearer frontrunner in Ciattarelli. Spending this year in the Garden State has shattered previous primary election records. Between all 11 names on the ballot in 2025, candidates raised about $59 million and shelled out more than $43 million of that as of May 12, according to the New Jersey Election Law Enforcement Commission. Trump backing his former critic Trump first announced his support for Ciattarelli, a former New Jersey general assembly member and now three-time candidate for governor, via Truth Social. "Jack Ciattarelli is a terrific America First Candidate running to be the next Governor of a State that I love, NEW JERSEY!" Trump wrote in a post on May 12. "Jack, who after getting to know and understand MAGA, has gone ALL IN, and is now 100%" Ciattarelli in 2015 labelled Trump a "charlatan," "out of step with the Party of Lincoln" and "not fit to be President of the United States." And in 2021, running his second campaign for governor, the former state legislator kept Trump at arms-length. Past statements appear to be old news, though, with Trump spending time before the primary lauding Ciattarelli's candidacy. Ciattarelli was the leading candidate among Republicans before receiving the president's support. His main opponent, former radio host Bill Spadea, has painted himself as a Trump loyalist. In a new ad, Spadea said he was "disappointed" by the president's endorsement decision. "Jack Ciattarelli did more than disagree with the president -- he disrespected him," Spadea said in the direct-to-camera commercial. "Me? I've been a supporter of President Trump since he came down the escalator. Other names on the GOP ballot are state Sen. Jon Bramnick, former Englewood Cliffs Mayor Mario Kranjac and Burlington County contractor Justin Barbera. Democrats to duke it out Among Democrats, Rep. Mikie Sherrill, a congresswoman representing a district in north New Jersey, has the edge. A former Navy pilot, Sherill is currently serving her fourth term in the U.S. House and has built a reputation as a moderate. She's locked down her own major endorsements, including from tennis icon Billie Jean King and Democratic political action committee EMILY's List. She faces five other candidates in a far-from-decided primary contest. Another Democratic member of Congress, Rep. Josh Gottheimer, is right behind Sherrill in polling, along with Jersey City Mayor Steve Fulop, Newark Mayor Ras Baraka and New Jersey Education Association President Sean Spiller. Rounding out the field is former state Sen. President Steve Sweeney. Trump focuses on beating Democrats rather than GOP rivals Trump focused on contrasting Ciattarelli with Democrats rather than rival Republicans in the primary by saying he would fight to lower taxes and crack down on violent criminals. Trump said Ciattarelli, a former Somerset County commissioner and state assemblyman, would stand up to "crippling regulations, rampant corruption" and "radical teachers' unions." "I can't do any better than that, Jack," Trump said. "So get out there and win." Ciattarelli thanked Trump for the endorsement and said his first executive order would be to eliminate so-called "sanctuary cities" that limit cooperation with federal enforcement of immigration laws. "We'll work together to keep our country safe and, of course, New Jersey safe," Ciattarelli said. "I'm honored and I will not let you down." It's either party's game A poll by Emerson College and The Hill found Ciattarelli leading the Republican pack with 44% of voters' support, to Spadea's 18%. Sherrill was ahead among Democrats at 28%, with Fulop, Baraka and Gottheimer next at 11%. Regardless of who comes out on top June 10, the general race for governor is expected to be a competitive battle and possible bellwether for the country. New Jersey has a history of flipping between parties when picking their top state official. Former Gov. Chris Christie, a Republican, served two terms from 2010 to 2018. He was succeeded by current New Jersey Gov. Phil Murphy, a Democrat. Murphy, now term-limited, faced Ciattarelli when running for reelection in 2021 and eked out a three-point win - much closer than his 15-point victory four years earlier. Former Vice President Kamala Harris won New Jersey in the 2024 presidential election. However, her six-point margin of victory was also a drop from Joe Biden's 16-point win in the Garden State in 2020 against then-President Trump.
USA Today
02-06-2025
- Politics
- USA Today
Trump stumps for GOP's Jack Ciattarelli: What to know about New Jersey governor primaries
Trump stumps for GOP's Jack Ciattarelli: What to know about New Jersey governor primaries Show Caption Hide Caption New Jersey governor signs bill making book bans illegal Governor Phil Murphy signed the Freedom to Read Act which will prevent arbitrary book banning in the state. President Donald Trump put his full weight behind New Jersey's leading Republican candidate for governor, telling voters in a June 2 telephone rally saying he 'is the most experienced and battle-tested' to win despite the Garden State businessman's past criticisms of Trump. Trump, who noted he often stays in Bedminster, supported Jack Ciattarelli for his pledges to cap property taxes at 1% and to fight illegal immigration. Trump encouraged voters to head to the polls for the first day of early voting June 3, ahead of election day June 10. 'Jack has what it takes to win. He has my complete and total endorsement,' Trump said during a five-minute speech. 'It's being watched all over the world because New Jersey is ready to pop out of that blue horror show.' New Jersey is one of two states to host a high-stakes gubernatorial election this November that could go a long way to determining which party has the political momentum heading into the 2026 midterms. Trump's virtual appearance came on the eve of early voting in the state's primary elections and where the two-term president's own fortunes are very much reliant on sustained GOP wins at the ballot box. New Jersey is guaranteed to see a fresh face leading the state after this year: Democratic Gov. Philip Murphy is term limited. But while the East coast state typically tilts blue, the general outcome is far from settled. Both parties have crowded candidate fields heading into the primaries on June 10, though Republicans can claim to have a slightly clearer frontrunner in Ciattarelli. Spending this year in the Garden State has shattered previous primary election records. Between all 11 names on the ballot in 2025, candidates raised about $59 million and shelled out more than $43 million of that as of May 12, according to the New Jersey Election Law Enforcement Commission. Trump backing his former critic Trump first announced his support for Ciattarelli, a former New Jersey general assembly member and now three-time candidate for governor, via Truth Social. 'Jack Ciattarelli is a terrific America First Candidate running to be the next Governor of a State that I love, NEW JERSEY!' Trump wrote in a post on May 12. 'Jack, who after getting to know and understand MAGA, has gone ALL IN, and is now 100%' Ciattarelli in 2015 labelled Trump a 'charlatan,' 'out of step with the Party of Lincoln' and 'not fit to be President of the United States.' And in 2021, running his second campaign for governor, the former state legislator kept Trump at arms-length. Past statements appear to be old news, though, with Trump spending time before the primary lauding Ciattarelli's candidacy. Ciattarelli was the leading candidate among Republicans before receiving the president's support. His main opponent, former radio host Bill Spadea, has painted himself as a Trump loyalist. In a new ad, Spadea said he was 'disappointed' by the president's endorsement decision. 'Jack Ciattarelli did more than disagree with the president — he disrespected him,' Spadea said in the direct-to-camera commercial. 'Me? I've been a supporter of President Trump since he came down the escalator. Other names on the GOP ballot are state Sen. Jon Bramnick, former Englewood Cliffs Mayor Mario Kranjac and Burlington County contractor Justin Barbera. Democrats to duke it out Among Democrats, Rep. Mikie Sherrill, a congresswoman representing a district in north New Jersey, has the edge. A former Navy pilot, Sherill is currently serving her fourth term in the U.S. House and has built a reputation as a moderate. She's locked down her own major endorsements, including from tennis icon Billie Jean King and Democratic political action committee EMILY's List. She faces five other candidates in a far-from-decided primary contest. Another Democratic member of Congress, Rep. Josh Gottheimer, is right behind Sherrill in polling, along with Jersey City Mayor Steve Fulop, Newark Mayor Ras Baraka and New Jersey Education Association President Sean Spiller. Rounding out the field is former state Sen. President Steve Sweeney. Trump focuses on beating Democrats rather than GOP rivals Trump focused on contrasting Ciattarelli with Democrats rather than rival Republicans in the primary by saying he would fight to lower taxes and crack down on violent criminals. Trump said Ciattarelli, a former Somerset County commissioner and state assemblyman, would stand up to 'crippling regulations, rampant corruption' and 'radical teachers' unions.' 'I can't do any better than that, Jack,' Trump said. 'So get out there and win.' Ciattarelli thanked Trump for the endorsement and said his first executive order would be to eliminate so-called 'sanctuary cities' that limit cooperation with federal enforcement of immigration laws. 'We'll work together to keep our country safe and, of course, New Jersey safe,' Ciattarelli said. 'I'm honored and I will not let you down.' It's either party's game A poll by Emerson College and The Hill found Ciattarelli leading the Republican pack with 44% of voters' support, to Spadea's 18%. Sherrill was ahead among Democrats at 28%, with Fulop, Baraka and Gottheimer next at 11%. Regardless of who comes out on top June 10, the general race for governor is expected to be a competitive battle and possible bellwether for the country. New Jersey has a history of flipping between parties when picking their top state official. Former Gov. Chris Christie, a Republican, served two terms from 2010 to 2018. He was succeeded by current New Jersey Gov. Phil Murphy, a Democrat. Murphy, now term-limited, faced Ciattarelli when running for reelection in 2021 and eked out a three-point win – much closer than his 15-point victory four years earlier. Former Vice President Kamala Harris won New Jersey in the 2024 presidential election. However, her six-point margin of victory was also a drop from Joe Biden's 16-point win in the Garden State in 2020 against then-President Trump.
Yahoo
02-06-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Trump stumps for GOP's Jack Ciattarelli: What to know about New Jersey governor primaries
President Donald Trump put his full weight behind New Jersey's leading Republican candidate for governor, telling voters in a June 2 telephone rally saying he 'is the most experienced and battle-tested' to win despite the Garden State businessman's past criticisms of Trump. Trump, who noted he often stays in Bedminster, supported Jack Ciattarelli for his pledges to cap property taxes at 1% and to fight illegal immigration. Trump encouraged voters to head to the polls for the first day of early voting June 3, ahead of election day June 10. 'Jack has what it takes to win. He has my complete and total endorsement,' Trump said during a five-minute speech. 'It's being watched all over the world because New Jersey is ready to pop out of that blue horror show.' New Jersey is one of two states to host a high-stakes gubernatorial election this November that could go a long way to determining which party has the political momentum heading into the 2026 midterms. Trump's virtual appearance came on the eve of early voting in the state's primary elections and where the two-term president's own fortunes are very much reliant on sustained GOP wins at the ballot box. New Jersey is guaranteed to see a fresh face leading the state after this year: Democratic Gov. Philip Murphy is term limited. But while the East coast state typically tilts blue, the general outcome is far from settled. Both parties have crowded candidate fields heading into the primaries on June 10, though Republicans can claim to have a slightly clearer frontrunner in Ciattarelli. Spending this year in the Garden State has shattered previous primary election records. Between all 11 names on the ballot in 2025, candidates raised about $59 million and shelled out more than $43 million of that as of May 12, according to the New Jersey Election Law Enforcement Commission. Trump first announced his support for Ciattarelli, a former New Jersey general assembly member and now three-time candidate for governor, via Truth Social. 'Jack Ciattarelli is a terrific America First Candidate running to be the next Governor of a State that I love, NEW JERSEY!' Trump wrote in a post on May 12. 'Jack, who after getting to know and understand MAGA, has gone ALL IN, and is now 100%' Ciattarelli in 2015 labelled Trump a 'charlatan,' 'out of step with the Party of Lincoln' and 'not fit to be President of the United States.' And in 2021, running his second campaign for governor, the former state legislator kept Trump at arms-length. Past statements appear to be old news, though, with Trump spending time before the primary lauding Ciattarelli's candidacy. Ciattarelli was the leading candidate among Republicans before receiving the president's support. His main opponent, former radio host Bill Spadea, has painted himself as a Trump loyalist. In a new ad, Spadea said he was 'disappointed' by the president's endorsement decision. 'Jack Ciattarelli did more than disagree with the president — he disrespected him,' Spadea said in the direct-to-camera commercial. 'Me? I've been a supporter of President Trump since he came down the escalator. Other names on the GOP ballot are state Sen. Jon Bramnick, former Englewood Cliffs Mayor Mario Kranjac and Burlington County contractor Justin Barbera. Among Democrats, Rep. Mikie Sherrill, a congresswoman representing a district in north New Jersey, has the edge. A former Navy pilot, Sherill is currently serving her fourth term in the U.S. House and has built a reputation as a moderate. She's locked down her own major endorsements, including from tennis icon Billie Jean King and Democratic political action committee EMILY's List. She faces five other candidates in a far-from-decided primary contest. Another Democratic member of Congress, Rep. Josh Gottheimer, is right behind Sherrill in polling, along with Jersey City Mayor Steve Fulop, Newark Mayor Ras Baraka and New Jersey Education Association President Sean Spiller. Rounding out the field is former state Sen. President Steve Sweeney. Trump focused on contrasting Ciattarelli with Democrats rather than rival Republicans in the primary by saying he would fight to lower taxes and crack down on violent criminals. Trump said Ciattarelli, a former Somerset County commissioner and state assemblyman, would stand up to 'crippling regulations, rampant corruption' and 'radical teachers' unions.' 'I can't do any better than that, Jack,' Trump said. 'So get out there and win.' Ciattarelli thanked Trump for the endorsement and said his first executive order would be to eliminate so-called 'sanctuary cities' that limit cooperation with federal enforcement of immigration laws. 'We'll work together to keep our country safe and, of course, New Jersey safe,' Ciattarelli said. 'I'm honored and I will not let you down.' A poll by Emerson College and The Hill found Ciattarelli leading the Republican pack with 44% of voters' support, to Spadea's 18%. Sherrill was ahead among Democrats at 28%, with Fulop, Baraka and Gottheimer next at 11%. Regardless of who comes out on top June 10, the general race for governor is expected to be a competitive battle and possible bellwether for the country. New Jersey has a history of flipping between parties when picking their top state official. Former Gov. Chris Christie, a Republican, served two terms from 2010 to 2018. He was succeeded by current New Jersey Gov. Phil Murphy, a Democrat. Murphy, now term-limited, faced Ciattarelli when running for reelection in 2021 and eked out a three-point win – much closer than his 15-point victory four years earlier. Former Vice President Kamala Harris won New Jersey in the 2024 presidential election. However, her six-point margin of victory was also a drop from Joe Biden's 16-point win in the Garden State in 2020 against then-President Trump. This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: What to know about contentious New Jersey governor primaries
