GOP claims South Jersey Democrat broke campaign finance laws to siphon support from opponent, calls for federal investigation
U.S. Rep. John Adler listens to Chief of Staff Jill Greco prior to a meeting with NJ Realtors on his his bill to cut fraud and abuse from the Federal Housing Administration in this September 2009 file photo.TRENTON — State Republicans today charged that U.S. Rep. John Adler (D-3rd Dist.) broke campaign finance laws by allegedly recruiting and helping a faux tea party candidate in order to siphon support from Adler’s GOP opponent.
The complaint, filed with the Federal Election Commission by Republican State Chairman Jay Webber, is the latest development in a controversy that has engulfed the most competitive congressional race in the state.
“It appears that John Adler and his cronies have flouted the law in an attempt to defraud voters,” said Webber. “So the federal authorities should step in and make John Adler finally answer questions that he’s been ducking for a week now.”
Adler, a freshman Democrat, is running for reelection against Republican Jon Runyan, a former Philadelphia Eagle, in this traditionally Republican South Jersey district.
Republicans allege that independent candidate Peter DeStefano, who’s running for Congress in the district under the slogan “NJ Tea Party,” is actually a plant by the Adler campaign to attract conservative votes that would otherwise wind up in Runyan’s column.
Local tea party groups have disavowed DeStefano, whose candidacy went unnoticed until it surfaced in a leaked internal poll from the Adler campaign.
The Courier-Post reported last week that Adler Campaign Manager Geoff Mackler and campaign consultant Steve Ayscue organized a petition drive in May to get DeStefano on the ballot, citing unnamed Democratic operatives as sources. Webber said that counts as an in-kind contribution from the Adler campaign, which should have been noted on disclosure reports filed with the commission.
Adler had previously denied having anything to do with DeStefano’s candidacy, and today reiterated that claim to the Asbury Park Press editorial board.
In the complaint, Webber also accused the Camden County Democratic Committee of giving in-kind contributions above the legal limit to DeStefano’s campaign because, according to the newspaper report, at least two of its staffers aided in the petition drive. He also alleged that DeStefano failed to report in-kind contributions from Camden County Democrats and the Adler Campaign.
DeStefano, Mackler, Ayscue and a spokeswoman for the Adler campaign could not immediately be reached for comment. A call placed after hours to the Federal Election Commission was not immediately returned.