Big Money in Manasquan Politics

As Manasquan's November election approaches, 29-day campaign filings with the New Jersey Election Law Enforcement Commission (ELEC) shine a light on the local races.

Manasquan's Republican ticket, which includes mayoral candidate and sitting councilwoman Patricia Connolly and political newcomers Pamela Lewis and Richard Norris running for council, did not meet a state-required threshold of $11,000 for a three-person ticket and therefore were not required by law to report their donors.

That was not the case on Democrat side.

Manasquan's Democratic ticket of incumbent mayor George Dempsey and former councilmen Mike Mangan and Joe Bossone raised a significant $20,547.77 this election season.

Joe Donohue, ELEC's Deputy Director, explained that for a town of Manasquan's size, this figure is sizable.

The campaign's balance summary shows that $4,382.77 was carried over from a prior campaign with $16,165 of the campaign's money came from new donations.

According to ELEC law, the names of donors of monetary contributions of $300 or less are not required to be disclosed. $8,665 of the campaign's donations came this way.

The remaining $7,300 comes from a mixed bag of donors.

The names of several prominent New Jersey Democrats are among those who donated more than $300 to the Manasquan Democratic ticket including 20th District Assemblyman Joseph Cryan, 19th District Assemblyman John Wisniewski and 22nd District Assemblywoman Linda Stender.

Donations from the executive field offices of Stender and Cryan were made in the amount of $500 each. Visniewski's donation was $1,000.

The political action committee of the New Jersey Association of Realtors also donated to the Manasquan Democrats in the amount of $550.

A $500 donation from a political action committee of the Utility and Transportation Contractor's Assocation based in Allenwood called Constructors for Good Government was also made.

Despite their significant fundraising efforts, the Manasquan Democrats have spent only a portion of their campaign war chest.

A total of $7,709.47 in expenditures were made by the campaign for normal campaign operations including mailers, printing, costs of fundraiser events and advertising.

According to ELEC regulations, campaign funds may be used to the following purposes:

19:25-6.5 Use or disposition of campaign funds

(a) All contributions received by a candidate, candidate committee, joint candidates committee or legislative leadership committee shall be used only for the following purposes:

1. The payment of "campaign expenses” as that term is defined in (b) below.

2. The making of donations to any charitable organization described in section 170(c) of the Internal Revenue Code of 1954, as amended or modified, or non-profit organization that is exempt from taxation under section 501(c) of the Internal Revenue Code of 1954, except any charitable organization of which the candidate or a member of the candidate’s immediate family is a paid officer, director or employee or receives compensation for goods or services provided to the organization;

3. Transmittal to another candidate, candidate committee, joint candidates committee, political committee, continuing political committee, legislative leadership committee, or political party committee for the lawful use of such other candidate or committee;

4. The payment of the candidate committee's, joint candidates committee's or legislative leadership committee's overhead and administrative expenses related to its operation;

5. The pro-rata repayment of contributors, except that contributors of $300.00 or less may be excluded from repayment; or Updated April, 2010 Page 27

6. The payment of ordinary and necessary expenses of holding public office, as provided in N.J.A.C. 19:25-6.7.