Yesterday, the New Jersey Election Law Enforcement Commission (“ELEC”) issued its 2009 Annual report, which calls for uniformity in New Jersey’s pay to play restrictions. The Annual Report suggests that the time has come for ELEC and the Legislature to … Continue reading →

Yesterday, the New Jersey Assembly Judiciary Committee held a hearing on the impact of the Citizens United decision on New Jersey’s campaign finance and pay-to-play laws.  Among the expert witnesses was Angelo J. Genova, founding partner of Genova, Burns & Giantomasi. … Continue reading →

No later than March 30, 2010, business entities that received payments of $50,000 or more through New Jersey government contracts in calendar year 2009 are required to file a Business Entity Annual Disclosure Form with the New Jersey Election Law … Continue reading →

Contribution and pay-to-play restrictions often allow for refunds to “correct” an over-the-limit contribution. The power of a refund varies by statute. Here are a few examples.

Governor Christie’s Executive Order No. 7 modifies prior executive orders (implicitly Executive Orders 117 and 118 signed by Governor Corzine in 2008) by amending the term “business entity” to include labor unions and labor organizations, and political committees formed by … Continue reading →

On his first day in office, Governor Christie signed eight executive orders, including one on pay-to-play. Here is Executive Order No. 7.

We are continuing our series on giving gifts to public officials. As a general rule of thumb, a New Jersey public official and/or employee may not accept any gift, which is intended to influence the performance of his or her … Continue reading →

Now that the 2009 gubernatorial election is over, companies that do business with the State of New Jersey and/or wish to remain eligible for contracts with the State need to take inventory of contributions that covered persons and/or entities made … Continue reading →

Governor-Elect Chris Christie takes office on January 19, 2010.  During the campaign Mr. Christie promised widespread ethics reform to “ensure that we restore honesty, transparency and ethical behavior to this state.” Among the proposals he has suggested are an expansion … Continue reading →

Pay-to-play reforms take many different forms. For example, in New Jersey, the current restrictions are embodied in state statutes, gubernatorial executive orders, municipal ordinances, and State Investment Council regulations. Now, almost five years to the day after the first gubernatorial … Continue reading →