Did Three SuperPACs coordinate attacks in LD24? Used same PA consultant.

By Rubashov

According to reports filed with the New Jersey Election Law Enforcement Commission (NJELEC), three dark money “SuperPACs” spent more than $200,000 to commandeer the primary process in legislative district 24. One superPAC is run by the IUOE 825 gas tax union. Another is a Pro-Transgender PAC set up to elect Pro-Choice “moderate” women. A third is a brand-new PAC and seeks to extend the influence of a controversial Islamic cleric. 
 
According to the latest figures provided by NJELEC, the Stronger Foundations superPAC – which is controlled by the IUOE 825 “gas tax” union – spent $75,134 in Northwest New Jersey’s District 24. In addition, the Pro-Transgender Women for a Stronger NJ spent $75,387 – primarily or entirely in District 24.
 
Another superPAC called Garden State Success spent $47,500. This PAC was created just a few weeks ago by insiders affiliated with District 24 Assembly candidate Dawn Fantasia. Both Fantasia and the PAC’s founders are linked with a charter school business controlled by followers of a controversial Islamic cleric, according to The Record newspaper and its affiliate, NorthJersey.com.
 
The final amount spent by these superPACs has not yet been reported to NJELEC. Whatever the final amount – the money was used to attack conservative Assembly candidates Josh Aikens and Jason Sarnoski and support the establishment team of Parker Space for Senate, and Dawn Fantasia and Mike Inganamort for Assembly.
 
According to NJELEC, on May 19, 2023, Stronger Foundations paid Pathfinder Communications (827 Nathan Hale Road, Berwyn, PA 19312) for a “CABLE TV & MEDIA BUY” in the amount of $60,134.00.
 
NJELEC reports that on May 19, 2023, Garden State Success paid Pathfinder Communications (827 Nathan Hale Road, Berwyn, PA 19312) for “PRODUCTION” in the amount of $2,500.00; and an additional $45,000.00 for a “DIGITAL MEDIA BUY”.
 
And NJELEC reports that on May 25, 2023, Women for a Stronger New Jersey paid Pathfinder Communications (827 Nathan Hale Road, Berwyn, PA 19312) for “PRINTING, PRODUCTION & POSTAGE” in the amount of $50,070.00.
 
Women for a Stronger NJ misrepresented its expenditure to NJELEC, claiming it was for a “STATEWIDE” Republican primary with an election date of June 6, 2023. There was no statewide office on yesterday’s ballot.
 
Theresa Mondella signed the May 25, 2023, independent expenditure report on behalf of Women for a Stronger NJ. She is also listed on the D-4 Form for Garden State Success, filed with NJELEC on May 16, 2023. Theresa Mondella lists her personal email address as Garden State Success’ email address and her personal address corresponds to the official address used for Women for a Stronger NJ.
 
In addition to the $60,134.00 paid to Pathfinder Communications, on May 19, 2023, Stronger Foundations paid $15,000 to Northeast Communication Solutions (PO Box 6468 Jersey City, NJ 07306). This business belongs to Democrat campaign consultants Ethan Andersen and Jason Springer.
 
Ethan Andersen worked on Cory Booker’s first U.S. Senate race. According to NJ Globe, he was the “treasurer for a superPAC built to help Gov. Phil Murphy’s 2017 campaign.” Jason Springer was the communications director for the NJ Democratic State Committee. He is a founder of the state’s leftwing equivalent to this blog: BlueJersey.com. 

With such a cast of characters, Republican primaries in New Jersey are fast becoming unrecognizable from Democrat primaries. Same money, same consultants -- only the use of the word "conservative" changes. What is laudable in one setting is derisive in the other. What delicious hypocrisy.
 

"Honest Gil" talks campaign finance reform.
 

The Heritage Foundation has commissioned a study on the infiltration of Republican organizations and primaries by Biden-backing labor unions like IUOE 825 – the one bankrolling the Stronger Foundations superPAC that spent more than $350,000 to trash conservatives in two districts (LD04 & LD24).

Women for a Stronger NJ made the news in 2020 when it spent around $30,000 on negative direct mail in an attempt to defeat an incumbent State Committeewoman and replace her with a transgendered person. Women for a Stronger NJ is run by NJGOP Chairman Bob Hugin’s 2018 U.S. Senate campaign manager and Hugin’s spouse is a founder of the committee, according to its webpage – which is very clear about the candidates it promotes:
 
“We're working to grow the number of women serving in elected office at the state and local level by building a diverse network of moderate Republican and Independent women throughout the state and expanding the pool of women considering public office.”
 
Garden State Success was incorporated on April 27, 2023. The lead trustee is Danielle Alpert, described by InsiderNJ as “a long time Trenton lobbyist”.  She is the wife of Brian Alpert, a state employee who works for Senators Steve Oroho and Tony Bucco. The other trustees are the County Supervisor for Roads of Passaic County and a Democrat activist from Newark. Danielle Alpert works for T.J. Best – a longtime elected Democrat. He was a County Commissioner in Passaic County and a legislative aide to Congressman Bill Pascrell. Alpert and Best work for Harry Lee, the CEO and President of NJPCSA and the former Chief Strategy Officer at iLearn Schools, where Assembly candidate Dawn Fantasia worked as a Chief Growth Officer and Chief Communications Officer. Both T.J. Best and Harry Lee hosted fundraising events for Dawn Fantasia’s Assembly campaign committee.

“Voters can’t make informed decisions unless they’re informed.  If you asked any self-respecting constituent of George Santos, they’d tell you they wish they knew then what they know now.”
 
Micah Rasmussen
Director of the Rebovich Institute of New Jersey Politics at Rider University

"If liberty means anything at all, it means the right to tell people what they do not want to hear."

George Orwell

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