COMMISSIONERS & SENIOR STAFF
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New Jersey Election Law Enforcement Commission
25 South Stockton Street, 5
th
Floor
Trenton, New Jersey
(609) 292-8700
Clockwise: Chairman Thomas H. Prol, Commissioner Ryan Peters, Commissioner Jon-Henry Barr, Acting Executive Director
Joseph Donohue, IT Director Anthony Giancarli, Compliance Director Stephanie Olivo, Legal Administrator of Review and
Investigation Theresa Lelinski, Acting Legal Director Amanda Haines, and Commissioner Norma R. Evans.
TABLE OF CONTENTS
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The essence of Democracy is an
informed electorate. It is the fulfillment of this
goal that the New Jersey Election Law
Enforcement Commission (ELEC) embraces as its
valued mission.
Established in 1973‚ ELEC monitors the
campaign financing of all elections in the State.
Whether the election is for Governor or Mayor‚
member of the Legislature or a City Council‚
candidates and campaign organizations are
required to file with the Commission
contribution and expenditure reports.
The Commission also administers the
law requiring candidates for the Governorship
and Legislature to make public their personal
finances prior to election day. Moreover‚ ELEC
administers those sections of the law‚ which
establish a filing obligation on the part of
lobbyists and their clients. Finally, ELEC is
responsible for enforcing various aspects of the
Pay-to-Play law‚ particularly as it pertains to
disclosure.
In addition, the Commission is
responsible for administering partial public
financing of gubernatorial primary and general
elections‚ for rule making‚ and‚ as part of its
regulatory duties‚ for holding public hearings.
Finally, ELEC exercises its enforcement authority‚
ensuring the integrity of the financial aspects of
the State’s electoral process.
A major part of New Jersey’s system of
elections‚ the Election Law Enforcement
Commission has upheld a tradition of fair‚ but
energetic‚ administration of the State’s financial
disclosure laws. That tradition is strong today
and will remain so in the future.
MISSION STATEMENT
P
AGE
The Commission ........................................ 1
Message from the Chairman ...................... 5
Legislative Review and
Recommendations .......................... 7
Statutory History of ELEC .......................... 11
Compliance Division ................................. 13
Law Division
Legal Section ...................................... 15
Review and Investigation Section ......... 16
Information Technology Division ............... 18
Homepage .......................................... 20
Finance and Administration Division ......... 21
Commission Staff & Organization .............. 23
ELEC Overview ......................................... 24
THE COMMISSION
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THOMAS H. PROL, CHAIRMAN
Thomas H. Prol is a member of the law firm
Sills Cummis & Gross P.C. and is admitted to practice
law in New Jersey, New York and before several
federal courts. He is a member of the American Bar
Association House of Delegates, a Life Fellow of the
National Conference of Bar Presidents, a Fellow of the
American Bar Foundation, and a Past President of the
New Jersey State Bar Association (“NJSBA”). Mr. Prol
served as NJSBA’s first openly gay leader in 2016-2017
and he has championed the resurgent effort to ratify
New Jersey native Alice Paul’s Equal Rights
Amendment as the 28
th
Amendment to the United
States Constitution.
Holding Juris Doctorate from New York
Law School and Bachelor of Arts and Master of
Public Health degrees from Emory University, in
March 2020, the NJSBA called Mr. Prol back to
service to oversee its Pandemic Task Force, leading
the effort to fashion a strategic roadmap to
address the impact of COVID-19 on the legal
profession.
Throughout his legal career, Mr. Prol has
been a vocal advocate on issues of equality,
individual dignity, and access to justice. He co-drafted
New Jersey’s marriage equality legislation that was
signed into law by Governor Phil Murphy on January
10, 2022. He was an advocate for, and successfully
argued the defense of the New Jersey Criminal Justice
Reform Act and the New Jersey Anti-Bullying Act. As a
founding executive board member of Garden State
Equality, New Jersey’s largest LGBTQ education
organization, Mr. Prol has championed civil rights and
personal liberties for over two decades. He served as
vice chairman of the National LGBT Bar Association
and director of the LGBT Bar Association of Greater
New York in 1999-2000.
Mr. Prol has appeared and authored/co-
authored numerous briefs before the New Jersey
Supreme and Superior Courts, New Jersey Council on
Local Mandates, the U.S. Third Circuit Court of
Appeals, and the United States Supreme Court over
the past two decades. He has represented over a
dozen municipal entities as general or special counsel
and is an expert in local government law and
parliamentary procedure.
Mr. Prol is General Counsel to the Municipal
Clerks’ Association of New Jersey and special
environmental counsel to the County of Sussex and its
municipal utilities authority. He previously served as
Associate General Counsel and Agency Chief
Contracting Officer for New York City’s Department of
Consumer Affairs, and was an adjunct professor at
Seton Hall University School of Law and New York Law
School. Prior to practicing law, Mr. Prol was an
environmental scientist and enforcement officer for
the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, and served
two years as a volunteer in the U.S. Peace Corps in
Nepal where he taught sanitation and health in Nepali
villages in the eastern hill region near Mount Everest.
Mr. Prol has also held externships with the U.S.
Attorney’s Office (EDNY), the New York City
Commission on Human Rights, CNN and The Carter
Presidential Center.
Governor Phil Murphy appointed Mr. Prol as
Chairman of the New Jersey Election Law Enforcement
Commission on June 14, 2023, and the Honorable
Janine Allen, J.S.C., administered his oath of office on
June 19, 2023. He resides in Asbury Park.
From left: Chairman Thomas H. Prol, Commissioner Ryan Peters,
Commissioner Norma R. Evans, and Commissioner Jon-Henry Barr.
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RYAN PETERS, COMMISSIONER
Ryan Peters is a native of Mount Laurel,
New Jersey. He is a 2004 graduate of the U.S. Naval
Academy, a 2012 graduate of the Rutgers School of
Law and a graduate of the Johnson College of
Business at Cornell University.
Upon successfully finishing training and
certification as a Navy SEAL, he completed three
combat deployments to Iraq and Afghanistan. At
present, Ryan is a Navy Captain assigned to SEAL
Team EIGHTEEN.
Ryan is a Vice President with Holman
Enterprises in Mount Laurel, New Jersey. Formerly
an associate attorney with Pepper Hamilton, LLP,
resident in the Philadelphia and Princeton Offices,
he concentrated his practice in commercial
litigation, with a particular focus on arbitration,
breach of contract litigation, and class action
litigation. He is also a Certified Fraud Examiner and a
Certified Anti-Money Laundering specialist with
experience in anti-money laundering compliance
and internal investigations.
Ryan is also actively involved in the
community. He served as a member of the
Burlington County Board of Chosen Freeholders
from 2016 until 2018. In January of 2018, Ryan was
sworn into the New Jersey Legislature as an
Assemblyman representing New Jersey’s 8th
Legislative District. Ryan also served as the
Chairman of the Board of Directors for the Liberty
USO of Pennsylvania and Southern New Jersey; the
Chairman of the Board of Directors for Goodwill
Industries of Southern New Jersey and Philadelphia;
and on the Board of Directors for Habitat for
Humanity of Burlington and Mercer County.
NORMA R. EVANS, COMMISSIONER
Norma R. Evans received her Juris Doctorate
from Temple University Beasley School of Law.
While in Law School she was a member of the Moot
Court Honor Society and President of the Black Law
Students Association.
Ms. Evans began her legal career at the
Philadelphia law firm of Montgomery, McCracken,
Walker and Rhoads as a Litigation Associate.
Following her passion for public service, she became
an Assistant Prosecutor with the Camden County
Prosecutor’s Office. She later joined the Attorney
General’s Office, Division of Criminal Justice, where
she rose to the ranks of Supervising Deputy
Attorney General, Deputy Chief of the Office of the
Insurance Fraud Prosecutor and Counsel to the
Insurance Fraud Prosecutor.
As a Deputy Attorney General, she helped to
ensure fair and efficient elections, and assisted
county election officials in resolving election day
voting-related legal issues, to facilitate the
preservation and protection of the right to vote. Her
duties included handling any court applications, and
providing timely legal advice to County
Superintendents of Elections and Boards of Elections
on emergent voting-related matters to help ensure
the integrity of the voting process.
Over the course of her career, Ms. Evans was
assigned to the Sandy Fraud Task Force and
represented the Attorney General as legal counsel
to the New Jersey Police Training Commission, the
State Toxicology Lab and the Human Trafficking Task
Force.
Recognized for her exceptional contribution
to the Division of Criminal Justice and the State of
New Jersey, Ms. Evans is the recipient of the
Professional Lawyer of the Year Award from the
New Jersey State Bar Association’s Commission on
Professionalism in the Law, the United States
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Inspector General’s Integrity Award, the Division of
Criminal Justice
Director’s Award, and the New Jersey
Outstanding Public Official Award.
Ms. Evans is the former President of the
Association of Black Women Lawyers of New Jersey.
She is a Life Member of Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority,
Inc. Ms. Evans currently serves on the South Jersey
Legal Services, Inc. Board of Trustees and is the Vice
President of the Garden State Unit of the National
Association of Parliamentarians.
Ms. Evans earned her B.S. from Towson
University and her J.D. from the James E. Beasley
School of Law at Temple University.
JON-HENRY BARR, COMMISSIONER
Jon-Henry “J.H.” Barr is a lifelong resident of
Union County, New Jersey. He graduated from Lehigh
University with a bachelor’s degree in government,
and he earned his law degree from Seton Hall
University School of Law. While in law school, he won
a seat on the Clark Township Council at age 23,
becoming one of the youngest elected officials in New
Jersey at that time. After law school, he was a law
clerk to Superior Court Judge Paul F. Chaiet in
Monmouth County.
In 2001, Mr. Barr was appointed as Chief
Municipal Prosecutor for Clark, a position he continues
to hold today. He is a founding member of the New
Jersey State Municipal Prosecutors Association, and
served as its president for eight years. As a frequent
speaker for continuing legal education seminars and
for his leadership in the area of municipal court
practice, he received the New Jersey State Bar
Association’s 2014 Municipal Court Practitioner of the
Year award. That same year, due to his extensive
experience prosecuting marijuana possession offenses,
he joined the steering committee of New Jersey United
for Marijuana Reform (NJUMR), a partnership of public
safety, medical, civil rights, faith, and social justice
groups and individuals. NJUMR played a key role in
the overwhelming approval of a November 2020 public
referendum in which the citizens of New Jersey voted
to legalize the possession of marijuana.
Mr. Barr’s community involvement includes
membership in the Clark Volunteer Emergency Squad,
where he was a certified Emergency Medical
Technician from 2003 to 2020, and served twice as the
squad’s president. For his volunteer service with the
Clark squad, the Young Lawyer’s Division of the New
Jersey State Bar Association rewarded him with its
“Service to the Community” trophy in 2005.
In 2017, Mr. Barr was appointed by the Union
County Board of County Commissioners to the Board
of Education of the Union County Vocational-Technical
Schools, becoming the school board’s vice-president
two years later. He also earned a Certified Board
Member recognition in 2023 from the New Jersey
School Boards Association, where he currently sits on
the Board of Directors as an Alternate Delegate for the
vocational school boards of the state.
Mr. Barr is admitted to practice law in New
Jersey, the District of Columbia, the U.S. Court of
Appeals for the Third Circuit, and the United States
Supreme Court. He has maintained a private law
practice as the managing member of the law firm of
Barr & Gulyas, L.L.C. in Clark since 1998. He is also a
past president of the Union County Bar Association,
which honored him in 2022 with its annual “Pro Bono
Attorney of the Year” award.
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EDWIN R. MATTHEWS, LEGAL COUNSEL
Edwin R. Matthews was selected to be the
Commission’s Legal Counsel and began serving in
that capacity in November, 2012.
Mr. Matthews is a partner with the Summit,
New Jersey law firm of Bourne, Noll & Kenyon. He
specializes in the areas of civil litigation, municipal
law, appellate practice, personal injury, products
liability, and tax appeals.
Upon graduation from Law School, Mr.
Matthews served as a Law Clerk for Associate
Justice Mark A. Sullivan of the New Jersey State
Supreme Court and as an Assistant United States
Attorney for the District of New Jersey. He was
twice recognized by the United States Attorney
General for Sustained Superior Performance. Mr.
Matthews has in the past served the Township of
South Orange Village, as a member of its governing
body, as its Municipal Court Judge, and as its Village
Counsel.
Mr. Matthews, a Certified Civil Trial
Attorney, is admitted in the State of New Jersey;
United States District Courts for the District of New
Jersey, the Southern District of New York, and the
Eastern District of New York; United States Courts of
Appeals for the Third Circuit and Second Circuit; the
United States Supreme Court; and the State of New
York. He has been designated Mediator for the
United States District Court for the District of New
Jersey as well as the New Jersey State Court
Mediation Program. He has served as an Arbitrator
for the Federal Court in New Jersey as well as a
number of counties in the state court system. He
served as a Member of the Committee on
Character, appointed by the New Jersey Supreme
Court (1993-2009, 2020 to present) and the Fee
Arbitration Committee (2019 to present). His
membership in a number of bar associations
includes serving as a member of the Board of
Trustees of the Trial Attorneys of New Jersey since
1986 and as its President from 2004 to 2005.
Mr. Matthews has lectured frequently at
seminars on trial tactics, product liability, the Rules
of Procedure and the Rules of Evidence. He is a
Master of the Worrall F. Mountain Inn of Court and
has been an adjunct faculty member of the School
of Law and a Master of the Inn of Court at Seton
Hall University School of Law.
Mr. Matthews served in the United States
Marine Corps where he attained the rank of
Captain. He was awarded the Bronze Star Medal
with Combat V, Navy Commendation Medal with
Combat V, two Purple Heart Medals, Combat Action
Ribbon, and the New Jersey Distinguished Service
Medal for service in Vietnam. Mr. Matthews has
been recognized as a New Jersey Super Lawyer in
the editions for 2009 through 2022. The New Jersey
Commission on Professionalism presented him with
its Professionalism Award in 2010.
Mr. Matthews received an A.B. degree from
the College of the Holy Cross and J.D. degree from
Seton Hall University School of Law.
MESSAGE FROM THE CHAIRMAN
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“It is a privilege to serve this State, and I am
grateful to once again have that opportunity. I look
forward to working alongside my fellow
commissioners, continuing my commitment to
public service, and protecting the integrity of our
elections with transparent and fair enforcement of
the law.”
– NJ ELEC Commissioner Ryan Peters
“I consider it a great honor to be selected to
serve on the Election Law Enforcement
Commission. As a career public servant, I am
committed to vigilantly maintaining the integrity of
campaign finances and other election matters, as
well as providing transparency to the citizens of the
State of New Jersey. I am proud to continue the
important work of the Commission.”
– NJ ELEC Commissioner Norma R. Evans
“My life’s work has been a commitment to
justice. I can think of no better way to serve the
people of New Jersey than with the enforcement of
our election laws. I am extraordinarily honored and
grateful…and I look forward to working in a
bipartisan manner with my fellow commissioners.”
– NJ ELEC Commissioner Jon-Henry Barr
“The integrity of elections is a vital and
sacrosanct component of a free and fair democracy.
I commit to engaging the important work ahead
with fairness, honesty, and respect for the dignity of
all. Our representative government requires
adherence to the rule of law and due process and I
look forward to implementing the Commission’s
mandate with the guidance of those bedrock
democratic principles.”
– NJ ELEC Commission Chairman Thomas Prol
With these statements, my fellow
Commissioners of the New Jersey Election Law
Enforcement Commission (“NJ ELEC”) and I have
dedicated ourselves to taking up and vigorously
enforcing the New Jersey Elections Transparency
Act (“ETA”) as well as implementing Governor
Murphy’s June 15, 2023, Executive Order 333 that
mandates that “the residents of New Jersey are
entitled to a government that is effective, efficient,
and free from corruption, favoritism, and waste.”
The new law promises transparency and we
have and will continue to deliver. With the broad
declarations of the legislative policy at N.J. Stat. §
19:44A-2.1 as
our backdrop,
the newly
installed
Commission has
taken up the
sacrosanct
mission of
overseeing and
protecting the
integrity of New
Jersey’s
elections.
As we assumed our offices, we were
grateful to find support in the highly skilled and
experienced staff of NJ ELEC. My fellow
Commissioners and I were greeted by a group of
dedicated and knowledgeable people, many of
whom have dedicated their lives to free and fair
elections in the Garden State. They are truly
committed to their non-partisan service as the fiscal
watchdogs of New Jersey elections.
The ETA and Governor’s Executive Order
brought many changes, including a lower reporting
limit, enhanced disclosure requirements, uniform
statewide pay-to-play mandates, and a reduced
statute of limitations. The latter change required
that NJ ELEC become a nimbler and even more
immediately responsive enforcement agency – and
we did.
Thomas H. Prol, Chairman
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We appreciate the input of our friends (and,
indeed, critics) in the press and public who continue
to bring concerns and issues to our attention. In
direct response to David Wildstein of New Jersey
Globe, we headed-off a potential concern about the
timing of reporting record releases that had the
potential to interfere with the public’s right to
know. NJ ELEC addressed that concern in record
time, engaging an intentional effort to turn records
around quickly and fulfill the meaning of the ETA’s
transparency mandate as well as its public policy
declarations. We welcome and appreciate this.
There is more to come.
Members of the public and press have been
engaged in following and checking in on NJ ELEC. In
particular, I had a frank and meaningful discussion
with Matt Freidman of Politico about the better
days that are ahead for NJ ELEC.
There are many new challenges on the
horizon, and we intend to meet them head-on. We
will be vigilant in watching for misuse of Artificial
Intelligence in campaign finance and continuing to
seek ways within the agency’s authority to address
it. The use of candidate and campaign funds to
unlawfully interfere with the electoral process will
not be tolerated. Nor will other acts that serve to
disenfranchise voters.
We focus particular attention on preventing
the use of campaign funds to target vulnerable and
historically disenfranchised communities by
suppressing voter turnout sowing, disinformation or
fraudulently misrepresenting the truth.
Should the agency uncover issues of
concern that lie are beyond its statutory scope, we
will work with other agencies, including the state
Attorney General’s Office, county prosecutors, the
U.S. Attorney’s Office and the Federal Bureau of
Investigation to address them.
On behalf of the New Jersey Election Law
Enforcement Commission, we respectfully submit
this Annual Report to the New Jersey Legislature.
From Top Left: Elaine Salit, Shirley R. Bryant, Kimberly Key and Chairman Thomas Prol.
Bottom Left: Brian Robbins and Brenda A. Brickhouse.
Five ELEC Employees Honored for Long Public Service
LEGISLATIVE REVIEW & RECOMMENDATIONS
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CAMPAIGN FINANCE ACTIVITY STRONG IN
2023 FOLLOWING ENACTMENT OF MAJOR
NEW LAW
During the same year when the most
sweeping overhaul of campaign finance laws in two
decades became law, the 2023 legislative election
drew heavy spending by candidates and
independent groups active in the election.
Among the milestones:
Overall spending topped $70 million for only the
second time in a legislative election, though
those dollars had less buying power compared to
some past years.
Legislative fund-raising topped $55 million for
the first time.
At $47.4 million, legislative spending reached a
new high.
Nearly $23 million spent independently by
special interest groups was the second highest
ever for a legislative election.
25 independent groups took part in the general
election- the most ever.
Campaign Finance Activity in 2023
New Jersey Legislative General Election
Year
Raised by
Legislators
Spent by
Legislators
Houses
Running**
Independent
Spending
Total
Spending
Totals In
2023
Dollars
2017 $44,117,517 $44,164,473 S, A $26,562,428 $70,726,901 $88,775,360
2013 $46,691,108 $43,446,977 S, A $15,375,071 $58,822,048 $77,687,463
2003 $47,911,008 $44,990,255 S, A $ 4,857 $44,995,112 $75,237,452
2007 $50,797,317 $47,231,847 S, A $ 165,000 $47,396,847 $70,331,314
2023* $55,852,814 $47,351,472 S, A $22,969,841 $70,321,313 $70,321,313
2021 $47,896,089 $45,474,841 S, A $14,000,959 $59,475,800 $67,531,383
2011 $45,656,674 $44,024,272 S, A $ 1,835,500 $45,859,772 $62,726,881
2001 $34,825,851 $32,550,394 S, A $ 3,166,463 $35,716,857 $62,084,978
2015 $22,883,719 $22,632,814 A $10,908,983 $33,541,797 $43,540,498
2005 $25,081,696 $23,713,193 A $ 3,476 $23,716,669 $37,362,679
*Preliminary ** S= Senate, A=Assembly
Joseph W. Donohue,
Acting Executive Director
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The 2023 general election was the first to
take place under the Elections Transparency Act,
which Governor Phil Murphy enacted April 3, 2023.
It imposed several key changes on election financing
in the state.
For the first time since ELEC was created in
1973, the law required independent spending
groups to identify all significant donors (those who
gave more than $7,500). The new law raised
contribution limits for non-gubernatorial candidates,
parties and political committees for the first time
since 2005. In another significant change, the new
law removed past restrictions on public contractors
that contribute to committees such as state parties
and legislative leadership committees.
ELEC has not completed its final analysis of
spending on the 2023 legislative campaign. Even so,
some initial observations can be made about the
impact of the new law.
One is that new donor disclosure rules for
independent groups did a good job of flushing out
major sources of funding. Only a single independent
group that spent about $50,000- less than one
percent of all spending- reported that all
contributions were received in an amount below the
reporting threshold. All other independent groups
reported receiving contributions in excess of $7,500.
The new law also led to more disclosure of
last-minute contributions and expenditures received
by candidates, parties and some independent groups
within 13 days of the election.
With one exception addressed in ELEC’s
legislative recommendations below, the law
required disclosure of all contributions and
expenditures above $200 within 72 or 24 hours
during the final two weeks before the election.
Faster turnaround was required closest to the
election. Previously, only contributions and
expenditures above $1,900 had to be reported
during the final days of the election.
Legislators raised a record haul of nearly $56
million compared to an average of $46 million for
four legislative campaigns since 2011 that included
both houses. One likely reason for the nearly $10
million increase is that legislative candidates last fall
were able to raise $5,200 for the election compared
to $2,600 for the earlier races.
Another factor could be that party
committees that support legislative candidates also
were able to raise more money under the law, giving
them more to give candidates.
ELEC found that the so-called “Big Six”
committees- the two state parties and four
legislative leadership committees- last year
collectively raised about $2.1 million more under
higher contribution limits. County parties in 2023
raised about $2.4 million more than they would have
without the new law.
NEW LEGISLATIVE RECOMMENDATIONS
Recommendation One- Extend statute of
limitations from two years to four years.
The Elections Transparency Act
implemented a two-year statute of limitations for
Campaign Act violations. While ELEC has
demonstrated that it can issue complaints within
two years, such a short statute of limitations may
inhibit ELEC’s ability to address certain violations.
For example, candidate reporting is on a per election
basis. Many candidates have reporting obligations
for longer than two years for a single election, as
terms of office vary within New Jersey. Extending
the statute of limitations from two to four years will
allow ELEC to effectively enforce the Campaign Act
over the entirety of an election. The four-year period
also matches the agency’s record retention
requirement. ELEC further recommends that the
statute of limitations begin with the election date
rather than the date of a violation.
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Recommendation Two- Require Independent
Expenditure Committees to Disclose Contributions
above $7,500 and Independent Expenditures above
$200 during the final 13 days before an Election;
also require such committees to file postelection
quarterly reports until the depository is closed.
The Elections Transparency Act created
“independent expenditure committees” that are
required to disclose significant donors- those
providing more than $7,500 in an election- and all
independent expenditures. While all other reporting
entities were transitioned from a 48-hour rapid
reporting obligation to a bifurcated 72/24-hour rapid
reporting obligation, no such obligation was created
for independent expenditure committees. As a
result, transactions between the 11-day preelection
report and the election are not required to be
disclosed until the 20-day postelection report.
The 2023 election involved eight
independent expenditure committees that were
exempt from the 72/24-hour disclosure rule. Sixty-
one percent of their combined campaign finance
activity was disclosed before the election- a total of
$10.4 million. However, $6.7 million was reported
after the election- or 39 percent. One committee
disclosed eight percent of its activity before the
election while another disclosed 36 percent. On the
other hand, the one committee among the group
that voluntarily submitted such reports disclosed 99
percent of its activity before the election.
In addition to a 72/24-hour rapid reporting
provision for independent expenditure committees,
ELEC recommends that independent expenditure
committees file postelection quarterly reports. All
other election-related committees are required to
file quarterly reports until they pay off any remaining
obligations. At that point, such committees certify
that their accounts are finalized. Currently,
independent expenditure committee reporting
concludes with a 20-day postelection report. There
is no requirement to report the reconciliation of any
outstanding obligations. To increase transparency as
to the sources of funding for independent
expenditures, ELEC recommends a postelection
quarterly report requirement for independent
expenditure committees that do not conclude all
activity with the 20-day postelection report.
Recommendation Three- Resolve Conflict Between
ELEC Law and Daniel’s Law
Daniel's Law, as initially envisioned, was to
provide that personal information including
addresses and telephone numbers of Judges both
sitting and former would be exempt from any
disclosure made by any state agency. The law was
expanded to include additional persons who could
register for non-disclosure under Daniel's Law,
including prosecutors and former prosecutors, and
employees of the Division of Child Protection.
Persons residing with exempt persons can also
register to have addresses exempted from
disclosure.
While the Commission appreciates and
respects the intent of Daniel’s Law, it is apparent
that complying with Daniel’s Law would force ELEC
to ignore its obligations under the Campaign Act. In
addition, Commission and staff members believe it
would be impossible to fully comply even if the two
statutes were not fundamentally at odds.
PRIOR RECOMMENDATIONS
Broaden the governmental activities law to include
lobbying of local governmental entities and to
require more disclosure by professionals who
advise lobbyists.
Potential Benefit: Current law requires
disclosure by lobbyists who try to influence
state officials, but not those who try to
influence county or municipal officials. This
expansion of disclosure requirements will
make the public better aware of influence
peddling at local levels of government. For
instance, dozens of New Jersey
municipalities enacted bans on recreational
marijuana in 2018 but no one knows who
lobbied them. In recent years, lobbyists
increasingly have sought the services of
professionals in areas such as public
relations, political, legal, and digital and
television advertising.
LEGISLATIVE REVIEW & RECOMMENDATIONS continued
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Disclosure by these so-called “shadow”
lobbyists will provide the public with a more
complete picture of lobbying activity in
today’s digital age. Also seek statutory
authority to require lobbyists to provide
more details on their quarterly reports when
they lobby on substantive matters on their
quarterly reports. This might include date
and location of meeting, name and title of
official or officials who took part in the
meeting, and the specific reason for the
meeting.
When candidates spend campaign funds on dinners
or other meetings, they must keep detailed records
about who attended the event, what was
purchased and why they considered the expense
“ordinary and necessary.”
Potential Benefit: More disclosure for the
public and less chance that a candidate will
misuse campaign funds for personal use.
Enact legislation authorizing public financing in the
event of a special gubernatorial election.
Potential Benefit: Would ensure that
candidates involved in a special election can
avail themselves of public financing just like
candidates in regular election years.
Enact legislation that would require any state and
local candidates in New Jersey setting up legal
defense funds to disclose their contributions and
expenditures in reports filed with ELEC.
Potential Benefit: Closes a gap in current
law, which requires no such disclosure.
Require school board candidates spending below
the current reporting threshold to file a candidate
certified statement (Form A-1).
Potential Benefit: School board candidates
are the only candidates except for write-in
candidates who are not required to make
such a declaration. Given that spending on
school elections grew steadily during the
past decade, fuller disclosure by candidates
seems warranted.
Expand the 72/24-hour notice requirement for
continuing political committee (PACs) expenditures
to require that they file notices for expenditures
made to May Municipal, Runoff, School, and Special
Elections.
Potential Benefit: More disclosure since an
increasing amount of money is being spent
on local elections.
Change the filing date for personal financial
disclosure statements to improve efficiency.
Potential Benefit: Personal financial
disclosure forms of candidates discourage
conflicts of interest by revealing information
about the wealth and assets of those who
seek elected office. Providing candidates
with more time in which to carefully
complete these forms, along with a less
confusing due date, will enhance compliance
and disclosure with the law.
OTHER RECOMMENDATIONS
Cost Savings and Efficiencies.
• Eliminate the gubernatorial spending
qualification threshold.
• Lengthen Commissioner terms to six years from
three years and select the Commission Chairman
or Chairwoman for a fixed term.
Strengthen Campaign Finance, Personal Financial
Disclosure and Lobbying Laws.
• Enact legislation that gives statutory force to
Commission prohibition against the use of
campaign funds to pay legal bills that arise from
criminal allegations.
• Require candidates who are no longer in office
to close their campaign accounts within a
specified time set by the Legislature.
STATUTORY HISTORY OF ELEC
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LAW CREATED/ESTABLISHED EFFECTIVE DATE
Election Law Enforcement
Commission
P.L. 1973, c.83 (N.J.S.A. 19:44A-1 et seq.)
“The New Jersey Campaign Contributions and
Expenditures Reporting Act”
Signed by Governor William Cahill
April 24, 1973
Gubernatorial Public
Financing Program
P.L. 1974, c.26 (N.J.S.A. 19:44A-27 et seq.)
Signed by Governor Brendan Byrne
May 6, 1974
Gubernatorial Public
Financing Program Extending
to Primary Elections
(Chapter 74)
Signed by Governor Brendan Byrne
July 23, 1980
Personal Financial Disclosure
Program
P.L. 1981, c.129 (N.J.S.A. 19:44B-1 et seq.)
Signed by Governor Brendan Byrne
May 1, 1981
Lobbying Program
P.L. 1981, c.150 (N.J.S.A. 52:13C-18 et seq.)
Signed by Governor Brendan Byrne
May 22, 1981
Continuing Political
Committee Quarterly
Reporting
P.L. 1983, c.579 (amendments to N.J.S.A. 19:44A-1 et seq.)
Signed by Governor Thomas Kean
January 17, 1984
Gubernatorial Campaign
Contributions & Expenditures
-amendments
(amendments to N.J.S.A. 19:44A-3 et al)
Signed by Governor Thomas Kean
January 10, 1989
January 21, 1989
Lobbying Reform
P.L. 1991, c.243 (amendments to N.J.S.A. 52:13C-18 et
seq.)
Signed by Governor James Florio
January 1, 1992
Campaign Finance Reform
P.L. 1993, c.65 (amendments to N.J.S.A. 19:44A-1 et seq.)
Signed by Governor James Florio
April 7, 1993
Street Money Reform Law
P.L. 1993, c.370, (codified as N.J.S.A. 19:44A-11.7)
Signed by Governor James Florio
January 7, 1994
Uniform Recall Election Law
P.L. 1995, c.105, (codified as N.J.S.A. 19:27A-1 et seq.)
Signed by Governor Christine Whitman
May 17, 1995
Political Identification Law
P.L. 1995, c.391, (codified as N.J.S.A. 19:44A-22.2 and 22.3)
Signed by Governor Christine Whitman
February 1, 1996
Non-Profit Disclosure by
Gubernatorial Candidates
P.L. 2001, c.20, (codified as N.J.S.A. 19.44A-27 et seq.)
Denies eligibility for public financing to gubernatorial
candidates who oversaw a 527 or 501(c) non-profit group
within four years of their candidacies unless the candidate
discloses contributions and expenditures by those
committees.
Signed by Governor Christine Whitman
January 30, 2001
Contribution Limit Changes
P.L. 2001, c.384 (amendments to N.J.S.A. 19:44A-1 et seq.)
Signed by Governor Donald DiFrancesco
January 8, 2002
Campaign Financing Reform
Initiatives
P.L. 2004, c.19, 21, 22, 28, 29, 30, 31, 32, 33, 123
(amendments to N.J.S.A. 19:44A-1 et seq.)
Signed by Governor James McGreevey
Signed by Governor Richard Codey (174)
June 16, 2004
through January
1, 2006
STATUTORY HISTORY OF ELEC continued
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2005 Clean Elections Pilot
Project
P.L. 2004, c.121
Signed by Governor James McGreevey
August 11, 2004
Lobbying Law Expansion
P.L. 2003, c.255 and P.L. 2004, c20, 27, 34, 36, 37, and 38
(amendments to N.J.S.A. 52:13C-18 et seq.)
Signed by Governor James McGreevey
April 13 through
August 16, 2004
Pay-to-Play Contracting Reform
(amendments to N.J.S.A. 19:44A-1 et seq.).
P.L. 2004, c.19 (codified as N.J.S.A. 19:44A-20.3 - 20.12)
Signed by Governor James McGreevey
P.L. 2005, c.51 (codified as N.J.S.A. 19:44A-20.13 - 20.25)
Signed by Governor Richard Codey
P.L. 2005, c.271 (codified as N.J.S.A. 19:44A-20.26 - 20.27)
Signed by Governor Richard Codey
January 1, 2006
October 15, 2004
January 1, 2006
January 5, 2006
2007 Clean Elections Pilot
Project
P.L. 2007, c.60
Signed by Governor Jon Corzine
March 28, 2007
Office of Lieutenant Governor
P.L. 2009, c.66
Signed by Governor Jon Corzine
June 26, 2009
Solicitation Ban on Public
Property
P.L. 2011 c.204
Signed by Governor Chris Christie
January 17, 2012
Eliminates the Requirement of
Candidates to File Duplicate
Copies of Campaign Treasurer’s
Reports with County Clerks
P.L. 2014, c.58 and N.J.A.C. 19:25-8.12
Signed by Governor Chris Christie
January 1, 2015
Requires Governmental Affairs
Agents to Disclose
Compensation Received from
State or Local Government
Entities
P.L. 2017, c.49 and N.J.A.C. 52:13C-21
Signed by Governor Chris Christie
May 1, 2017
Requires Gubernatorial Ballot
Statements to be Posted Online
P.L. 2017, c.177 and N.J.A.C. 19:44A-37
Signed by Governor Chris Christie
July 21, 2017
Elections Transparency Act
P.L. 2023, c.30
Signed by Governor Philip Murphy
April 3, 2023
Steve Kimmelman Christopher Vigale
COMPLIANCE DIVISION
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The Compliance Division was very busy in 2023
with the passage of the Elections Transparency Act in
April. Changes in contribution limits, reportable
contribution disclosure amounts, the timing and
monetary thresholds of pre-election notices and
changes in the pay-to-play law created a blizzard of
compliance activity between the Primary and General
elections. Adjustments were made to all manuals,
forms, training materials and electronic filing programs.
Phone calls for assistance because of the changes in
reporting requirements and increases in contribution
limits poured in from the regulated community and
compliance staff were on hand to provide the assistance
required.
Aside from the statutory
changes implemented by the
new Act, compliance adjusted
internal operations to provide for
the immediate disclosure of
reports on the respective due
dates. With greater campaign
finance transparency resulting in
a higher volume of reports filed
and disclosure accomplished
immediately to the public,
compliance staff worked
tirelessly to meet the mission of
disclosure established by the
Commission. Compliance staff
voluntarily worked after hours
on filing days for the General
election to process reports for
disclosure the same evening.
W
ith the paramount
objective of assisting the
regulated community, the Compliance Division is on call
and available to assist individuals in person, over a
computer or over the phone to provide guidance
regarding statutory and regulatory requirements
relative to campaign finance, lobbying, pay-to-play and
the gubernatorial public financing program. Assistance
is provided to individuals that are candidates for public
office and their treasurers, political committees and
continuing political committees, governmental affairs
agents and those represented by them, professional
campaign fundraisers and business entities contracting
with public entities. The goal is to ensure that the
regulated community files public disclosure reports that
are accurate and on time. Staff also assists members of
the public and the media with instruction on the use of
the website to search and locate available data and
reports, and with Open Public Records requests.
All State legislative offices and many local
elections were in play in 2023 and compliance staff
handled election cycle reporting by candidates, joint
candidate committees, political committees and
independent expenditure committees, which included
candidacies for legislative and local primary and general,
municipal, December runoff, April and November school
board, February and November fire district and the May
Municipal election; quarterly reporting relating to
candidates, political party committees, legislative
leadership committees and continuing political
committees; registration of governmental affairs
agents; annual and quarterly lobbying disclosure;
registration of professional campaign fundraisers and
quarterly fundraising activity; and business entities with
contracts with public entities.
Front row: Kim Key, Gianna Sama, and Desiree DeVito.
Back row: Nancy Fitzpatrick, Maite Hopkins, Milene Matos, Daniel Horowitz,
Stephanie Olivo, Walter Leavey, Jr., Monica Triplin-Nelson, Carl Skurat, Deegan Lewer, & Titus Kamal.
COMPLIANCE DIVISION continued
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Compliance staff aids all regulated groups
and individuals by providing direct mail reminders,
delinquent and non-filer letters, guidance documents
and reference materials for filing requirements and
due dates for filing obligations. Upon obtaining the
names of candidates, the division is in immediate and
constant contact with those that have filing
obligations.
Election
Number of
Candidates
Number of
Committees
Fire
Commissioner
157
(Including
candidates in the
General)
4
April
Schoolboard
49 5
May Municipal
87
14
Primary
2,164
361
General
2,225
426
December Runoff
4
0
November
Schoolboard
2,067 134
Total
6,753
944
Regulated Group
Number
Reports Filed
Candidates and
Committees
7,697 29,795
Public Contractors
2,163
2,394
Lobbyists (Avg)
926
6,106
Professional
Fundraisers (Avg)
18 73
Total
10,804
38,368
Business Entity Disclosure of Contracts and
Contributions for 2022 reported in 2023
2,163 Business
Entities
Number Total Amount
Reported
Contracts
20,793 $15,310,201,642
Reported
Contributions
7,671 $9,771,533
With mandatory electronic filing in place for
all filing entities, ELEC receives nearly all required
filings electronically which were disclosed on ELEC’s
website. Compliance officers review every report to
associate the reports to the appropriate filing entity
for easy web searching and review for compliance
with the applicable law and regulations. Compliance
staff creates correspondence upon review
recommending corrections that would assist the filer
to comply with the applicable rules for proper
disclosure.
Compliance staff creates regulatory guidance
documents, gives informational seminars and
webinars, responds to telephone inquiries and assists
individuals that appear in-person.
Public Assistance
Seminars/Webinars
74
Seminars Participants
319
Trained Treasurers
310
Telephone Assistance
8,930
Public Room Assistance
60
Open Public Records Responses
31
Compliance staff continuously attempts to
review disclosure reports for assistance with data
collection for analytical press releases. It also
regularly seeks improvements to forms and ELEC’s
website to better accommodate the regulated
community. Staff reviews statewide election reports
for contribution and expenditure totals and conducts
a review of annual lobbyist reports to allow for the
preparation and posting of analytical data.
The Compliance Division aspires to provide
excellent customer service to both the regulated
community and the public. Whether compliance is
assisting over the phone, in a seminar or at a
conference or convention, every effort is made to
provide information and instruction on properly
completing the disclosure forms and to provide the
public with accurate and meaningful disclosure of
information to promote the intent of the law and
regulations. Compliance staff can be made available
outside the office to provide informational seminars
or training sessions, or to attend conferences or
conventions. Providing helpful, courteous service
each day to the regulated community and the public
is our highest priority.
LAW DIVISION
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LEGAL SECTION
The Legal Section (Legal) is responsible for
preparing advisory opinions and regulations, and
interpreting and enforcing the laws under the
jurisdiction of the Commission. Complaints, final
decisions, advisory opinions, and regulations are
posted on the Commission’s website to provide the
public with timely disclosure of the Commission’s
enforcement actions and
convenient access to legal
resources. Legal also advises the
Commissioners and staff on
various aspects of the
Commission’s work.
ENFORCEMENT ACTIONS
The Commission is
statutorily authorized to issue
complaints alleging violations of
the New Jersey Campaign
Contributions and Expenditures
Reporting Act (Campaign Act), N.J.S.A. 19:44A-1, et
seq., in addition to the other statutes under the
Commission’s jurisdiction, and to seek monetary
penalties. Legal prosecutes violations of the
Campaign Act by issuing complaints, litigating those
cases/enforcement actions to resolution and
presenting them to the Commission for final decision
determination. Enforcement actions are designed to
achieve accurate and complete reporting by
candidates and committees, and to discourage future
violations by imposing appropriate penalties.
COMPLAINTS
Legal issued 158 complaints in 2023. These
complaints resulted from investigations and internal
audits pertaining to calendar years 2021 and 2022,
including the 2022 primary, municipal and general
elections. Violations related to 48-hour notices and
contribution and expenditure reporting by
candidates and various committees were alleged.
Upon receipt of a complaint, Respondents
have the right to request a hearing and have the
matter transmitted to the Office of Administrative
Law (OAL), or Respondents may waive their right to a
hearing.
FINAL DECISIONS
At the conclusion of each case, the
Commission issues a final decision that sets forth
findings of fact and conclusions of law specifying
violations found and penalties imposed for specific
violations. Final decisions issued in 2023 found that
candidates and committees violated the Campaign
Act and imposed penalties for: (1) failing to file
reports and filing late reports; (2) failing to file 48-
hour notices; and (3) failing to report and late
reporting of contribution and expenditure
information. The Commission issued 205 final
decisions in 2023. Monetary penalties paid during
2023 totaled $103,723.58.
Top row: Amanda S. Haines, Gail L. Shanker, and Theresa J. Lelinski.
Bottom row: Tia Dinh, Kelley Keane-Dawes, and Ben Kachuriner.
LAW DIVISION continued
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ADVISORY OPINIONS
To provide guidance to the regulated
community, the Commission is authorized to issue
advisory opinions to individuals and entities as to
whether a given set of facts would constitute a
violation by the requestor and/or whether a given
set of facts would render the requestor subject to
reporting requirements. Advisory opinions are
posted on ELEC’s website. The Commission issued
one advisory opinion in 2023. Advisory Opinion
01-2023 (AO 01-2023) advised an individual
intending to be a simultaneous candidate for United
States Senate and Governor of New Jersey that all
contributions received by the gubernatorial
candidate committee, including coordinated
expenditures from the Senate committee, will be
subject to the contribution limit
applicable to all gubernatorial
candidates. AO 01-2023 further
advised that if the individual
become a qualified candidate, all
coordinated expenditures by the
Senate campaign, including those
made prior to an application for
matching funds, would apply to the
gubernatorial expenditure limit,
subject to N.J.A.C. 19:25-16.27
exclusions.
CONCLUSION
Interpreting and enforcing
the provisions of law are critical
elements of effective administration
of the campaign and lobbying
financial disclosure entrusted to the
Commission. Legal continues to
meet its challenges in a professional
and responsible manner by
enforcing the laws fairly and uniformly, and
respecting the protections afforded each
Respondent under the law.
REVIEW AND INVESTIGATION
SECTION
The Review and Investigation Section
consists of a Director of Review and Investigation,
six investigators and one support staff.
In calendar year 2023, the Review and
Investigation Section closed 52 investigations. The
investigations primarily focused on the incomplete
or untimely filing of campaign reports, campaign
report information such as complete disclosure of
contribution and expenditure information, receipt of
excessive contributions, and reporting obligations of
individuals and/or entities that expended funds
independently of the candidate.
Top row: Marcus Malmignati, Shreve Marshall, and Tamico Flack.
Middle row: Brett Mead and Christopher Guear.
Bottom row: Danielle Hacker, Matthew Krinsley, and Laura Jurkiewicz.
LAW DIVISION continued
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REQUESTS FOR INVESTIGATION
Any member of the public can request an
investigation by completing the Confidential
Request for Investigation form, which can be found
on the Commission's web site, www.elec.nj.gov. The
Requests for Investigation continue to be a major
source of information regarding alleged violations of
the Reporting Act as many members of the public
continue to hold accountable their elected officials.
When submitting a Request, it is helpful if the
complainant provides as much information as
possible, such as copies of campaign literature,
photographs of campaign signs and any other
information that may support the alleged reporting
violation. However, these Requests cannot be filed
by facsimile.
The Commission received a total of 183
Requests for Investigation in calendar year 2023.
The Commission also initiates investigations as a
result of staffs review of reports filed with the
Commission. The Review and Investigation Section
opened 22 new investigations in calendar year 2023.
The Commission does not release any information
to the public, indicating how it may have learned of
a specific reporting violation or comment as to how
an investigation is initiated.
INVESTIGATIONS
In most cases, R&I will issue a subpoena
either to entities that are the subject of the
investigation or to financial institutions where a
designated campaign or organizational depository is
established. Subpoenas are issued for the
production of documents that are needed to
corroborate the financial information that was
reported by the respondents or obtain more
accurate information to assist the respondents with
their filing obligations. In calendar year 2023, the
section issued 75 subpoenas during the course of an
investigation and in support of the Legal Section
during litigation.
NON-FILER COMPLAINTS
The Review and Investigation Section is also
responsible for reviewing the filings of candidates
and committees to make referrals for complaint to
the Legal Section of those entities that fail to file
with the Commission. In 2023, 157 such complaint
recommendations were transmitted to the Legal
Section
ADMINISTRATIVE HEARING AND OTHER LEGAL
SUPPORT
The Section's investigators also review the
Commission's files for records of candidates and
entities participating in an election who have failed
to file any reports.
The R & I section also assists the attorneys
in the Legal Section with follow-up enforcement
activity such as locating addresses for sheriffs
service of complaints and in the preparation of cases
for hearings before the Office of Administrative Law.
In this instance, the investigator is required to
prepare as the State's witness in the cases in which
the respondents do not waive their right to such
hearings., The investigators are also called upon to
review amended reports filed by respondents in
response to Commission complaints.
INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY DIVISION
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INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY DIVISION
2023 was a busy year for the IT
Department. The Elections Transparency Act, which
was signed into law on April 3, 2023, required
sweeping changes to the online filing applications as
well as ELEC’s website. Staff installed new office
network equipment, while overseeing upgrades of
the agency’s main database and virtual servers.
Staff switched to Zoom as the online platform for
monthly commission meetings. The IT section also
updated its internet security web gateway and
started planning for the automation of how filers
obtain an electronic Registration and PIN signature.
While an initial plan was rejected, IT Staff
won approval from the state Office of Information
Technology to use Microsoft Teams Calling on a
pilot basis. Staff have tested it extensively as an
alternative to the current AT&T VOIP system.
Finally, Zscalar, a virtual private network (VPN) that
helps secure internet access, is being evaluated to
provide a more efficient and effective connection
method for all agency staff whether they work from
the office or remotely.
The Elections Transparency Act made
significant changes to various filing thresholds as
well as timely reporting of certain contributions and
expenditures leading up to election day.
ELEC’s online filing applications, including
ELEC eFile and
sForms, required
substantial
enhancements to
comply with the new
Law. Compounding
the difficulty was the
fact that the changes
had to be made in the
middle of a legislative
election year.
One previous
software change that
made the transition
easier was ELEC’s
decision in 2019 to
update its filing
program from a PC-
based application to a
web-based platform.
It gave all filers
immediate access to the statutorily required
updates.
As part of our office relocation in 2017 to its
offices into the NJ Network (NJN) Building on
Stockton Street, ELEC was able to reuse existing
network switches, hubs, routers, and gateways in
the new location. Knowing that by October 2023
this equipment would be obsolete,
upgrades were completed in two phases to
minimize agency interruptions and to provide a
smoother transition for staff. The life expectancy of
the new network equipment is between 8 to 10
years.
Front row: Shirley Bryant, Brenda Brickhouse, Aydan Altan, Anthony Giancarli, Kim Swartz, and Helen Kelly.
Back row: Maryanne Garcia, Peter Palaitis, Susan Danley, Lou Solimeo , Elias Amaya, Bettie Michael,
Ken Colandrea, and Brian Robbins.
INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY DIVISION continued
2023 Annual Report 19
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An important aspect of any network is
proper protection of the underlying infrastructure
from unauthorized access and misuse. ELEC has
upgraded to the Zscalar Internet Access (ZIA)
Platform. This state-of-the-art solution is the
world’s leading secure web gateway (SWG)
delivering a cloud native, AI-powered cyberthreat
protection, and zero trust access to the internet.
The ability to effectively broadcast ELEC’s
monthly commission meetings to the public has
become a priority since the pandemic. Allowing the
public, whether the general citizenry, advocacy
groups, or journalists, to easily attend an online
meeting helps fulfill ELEC’s commitment to
transparency. Along with the use of Zoom, better
audio equipment was purchased, and a camera was
added so the public can view the actual
proceedings.
ELEC may be the only agency where callers
speak directly to a live person. The agency does not
use an auto-attendant. Human operators route calls
to Compliance, the IT help desk or other agency
staff.
ELEC was given the go-ahead by the Office
of Information Technology to run a thorough check
of the Microsoft Teams Calling phone system. 20
licenses were secured to evaluate the efficiency and
reliability of the product. Since the agency is
already using the Office 365 cloud-powered
productivity platform including email and Teams
messaging, the testing of the Teams Calling
application seemed logical. The system performed
well during extensive testing, and the agency will be
transitioning to the new phone service next year.
ELEC’s main data warehouse is an Oracle
Database. Oracle is one of the world’s leading high-
performance data management systems. The
agency has been using Oracle since 1999. Like any
other enterprise platform, the database must be
upgraded to newer software versions to maintain
operating system compatibility and close off security
threats. New features are also available to improve
performance and known bug fixes. This year the IT
staff updated Oracle 11g to version 19c.
Finally, in keeping pace with the Windows
Server operating system, ELEC’s 14 Virtual Servers
were upgraded to version 2022. The agency moved
from physical servers in 2021 to OIT’s virtual
environment to further improve overhead costs,
reliability, and backup efficiency. This decision is
aligned with ELEC’s overall disaster recovery plan
and improves its preparedness and recovery time
should a disaster or emergency occur.
DATA ENTRY SECTION
Although all reports are now filed
electronically, contributions and expenditures
reported by campaigns and committees spending
under the R1 and R3 expenditure threshold are
allowed to file a Short Form for disclosure. The Data
Entry staff must enter this information in our
database since the Short Form system does not
extract data from the form.
The Data Entry staff processes these reports
in an efficient and timely manner. They also update
the database for the website daily and ensure
reports are disclosed at the appropriate time.
Data entry is also responsible for the
processing of all registration and PIN requests. This
two-part number is used as an electronic signature
for each person within a filing entity responsible for
certifying the report.
HOMEPAGE
20 2023 Annual Report
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The Commission is working to update our website to provide updates and changes
pertaining to the Elections Transparency Act which was signed into law on April 3,
2023. Please reference the link to view the new legislation and call Compliance staff
with any questions.
Filers Contributions and Expenditures Candidate or Committee Reports Lobbying Reports
Press Releases Pay to Play Reports Complaints and Final Decisions News Letters, White Papers and
Other Publications
Press Releases
Enforcement Action
April 3, 2024
Business Entity Annual
Statements
April 2, 2024
Complaints Issued
March 27, 2024
Commission Meeting
Agenda
March 13, 2024
ELEC Regulations
March 13, 2024
2023 Annual Lobbying
Spending
March 12, 2024
2023
Lobbying Spending
Trends
March 11, 2024
Spotlight On
ELEC
-Tronic Newsletter
Issue 1
73 March 2024
White Paper No.
31
Legislative Election 2021
–
The Southern Tsunami
202
2 Annual Report
The History of the Commission
Project
– Volume 13 – Dr. Susan
Lederman
– Former ELEC
Commissioner
Gubernatorial General Debates
Schedule
NEW JERSEY
& ITS PARTY SYSTEM:
A Collection of Columns Extolling
the Benefits of Political Parties
2021 Cost Index Report
ELEC Still Doing Its Job Despite The
COVID
-19 Crisis
Contribution Limits
View contribution limits for
candidates, parties, political
committees and PACs
Disclosure Dates
Pending report disclosure
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FINANCE AND ADMINISTRATION DIVISION
2023 Annual Report 21
Election
Law
Enforcement
Commission
L
E EC
1973
FINANCE AND ADMINISTRATION DIVISION
D
uring 2023, the Finance and
Administration Division continued to play an
integral role in the successful operations of the
Commission, by providing important management
and employee services. Among the major areas
handled and overseen by the Division are budget
planning and analysis, purchasing/procurement,
personnel and payroll administration, mail
processing, and facilities management.
Additionally, the Finance and
Administration Division oversees multi-
function devices and all other machinery
maintenance for the entire Commission.
Finally, reception services for the
Commission are housed within the
Finance and Administration Division. A
great source of pride for all associated
with the Commission is the fact that all
telephone inquiries are still courteously
and efficiently handled personally by a
knowledgeable staff member and are
not simply forwarded to a voicemail or
telephone menu.
BUDGET
O
ne of the major areas of
responsibility for the Finance and
Administration Division is the
preparation, analysis, and management
of the Commission’s budget. The
Commission’s fiscal year 2024 Direct State Services
adjusted appropriation is $5,753,000 which is an
increase of $286,000 from the fiscal year 2023
Direct State Services adjusted appropriation. This
increase is from salary program to offset increases
in salaries. Thus, the Finance and Administration
Division staff continued to work to ensure the
accurate budgeting and management of
expenditures.
D
uring 2023, the Finance and
Administration Division staff worked tirelessly with
other Commission Divisions to ensure the efficient
management of the budget and the purchasing of
necessary supplies and services, in order to keep
the Commission functioning at an optimal level.
PERSONNEL
A
nother major area of responsibility for the
Finance and Administration Division is the
coordination and management of personnel
activities for the entire Commission. The Finance
and Administration Division staff successfully
worked with the Civil Service Commission and the
Governor’s Office during 2023 to comply with all
State personnel rules and regulations in backfilling
positions. This has allowed overall staff levels to
remain unchanged over the past few years.
Front Row: Barbara Rann, Cheryl Lippincott, and Samantha Schutzbank.
Back Row: Kelvin Fisher, Aracelis Brown, Tamika McCoy,
Christine Clevenger, Christopher Mistichelli, and Elaine Salit.
FINANCE AND ADMINISTRATION DIVISION continued
22 2023 Annual Report
Election
Law
Enforcement
Commission
L
E EC
1973
ELEC staff had been working remotely from
2020 throughout the COVID-19 pandemic but were
required to return to full-time in-person work in
early 2022. After a few months of entirely in-office
work, the Governor’s office and Civil Service
Commission introduced guidelines for a Pilot
Telework Program. The Division of Finance and
Administration was tasked with creating and
implementing our Pilot Telework Program, which
began in June 2022 and runs through the end of the
current fiscal year, June 30, 2024; This pilot
program allows eligible staff to work two days
remotely and three days in office.
ELEC continues to follow all safety protocols
and guidelines set forth by the CDC and the
Governor’s office, ensuring the well-being of our
staff as well as ensuring operations remain
uninterrupted. All State and Federal health and
safety requirements, such as possible exposure
notifications/quarantines, cleaning protocols, and
the like have been strictly adhered to as they have
been issued and/or updated.
OTHER RESPONSIBILITIES
In addition to handling budget, fiscal and
personnel matters for the Commission, the Finance
and Administration Division is also responsible for
general administrative functions, such as reception,
mail processing, overseeing machinery and
equipment maintenance, and acting as the
Commission’s liaison with Building Management.
During 2023, the Division continued to work to
maintain an atmosphere where all other Divisions
could focus solely on their respective roles within
the Commission, without concern for these day-to-
day administrative issues.
CONCLUSION
By providing important management and
employee services in a timely and professional
manner, the Finance and Administration Division
has been an integral part of the Commission.
During 2023, the Division operated within the
parameters established by the Department of
Treasury and the Governor’s Office and continued
to handle all responsibilities effectively.
In FY 2025, the Commission anticipates an
appropriation of $6,662,000 based on the Governor’s
Budget Message.
Comparison Of Fiscal Years 2023 And
2024 Original DSS Appropriations
Fiscal-2023
Appropriation
Fiscal-2024
Appropriation
Salaries and
Wages
4,721,000 5,007,000
Printing and
Supplies
44,000 39,000
Services Other
Than Personal
700,000 705,000
Maintenance and
Fixed Charges
2,000 2,000
Total Operational $5,467,000 $5,753,000
2023 Evaluation Data
Disclosure Reports (Total) 38,368
Campaign & Quarterly
Lobbyist
Pay-to-Play
Professional Campaign
Fundraiser
29,795
6,106
2,394
73
Investigations 52
Complaints 158
Public Assistance Requests 10,628
Fine Collection $103,724
Lobbying Annual Fees $468,070
Campaign Fundraiser Annual Fees $ 15,000
COMMISSION STAFF & ORGANIZATION CHART
2023 Annual Report 23
Election
Law
Enforcement
Commission
L
E EC
1973
EXECUTIVE
JOSEPH W. DONOHUE, ACTING EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR
Steven Kimmelman
Christopher Vigale
Elbia L. Zeppetelli
COMPLIANCE DIVISION
STEPHANIE A. OLIVO, ESQ., COMPLIANCE DIRECTOR
Carl Skurat
Daniel Horowitz
Deegan Lewer
Desiree DeVito
Gianna Sama
Kimberly Key
Maite Hopkins
Michel Donato-Suarez
Milene Matos
Monica Triplin-Nelson
Nancy Fitzpatrick
Titus Kamal
Walter Leavey, Jr.
FINANCE & ADMINISTRATION DIVISION
CHRISTOPHER MISTICHELLI, DIRECTOR
Aracelis Brown
Barbara Rann
Cheryl Lippincott
Christine Clevenger
Elaine J. Salit
Kelvin Fisher
Samantha Schutzbank
Tamika McCoy
LAW DIVISION
AMANDA HAINES, ESQ., ACTING LEGAL DIRECTOR
Benjamin Kachuriner, Esq.
Gail L. Shanker, Esq.
Kelley Keane-Dawes, Esq.
Theresa J. Lelinski, Esq.
Maureen Tilbury
REVIEW AND INVESTIGATION
SHREVE E. MARSHALL, JR., DIRECTOR
Brett Mead
Christopher Guear
Danielle Hacker
Laura Jurkiewicz
Marcus Malmignati
Matthew Krinsley
Tamico Flack
INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY DIVISION
ANTHONY GIANCARLI, DIRECTOR
Aydan A. Altan
Brian Robbins
Elias J. Amaya
Ken Colandrea
Kim Swartz
Louis Solimeo
Maryanne Garcia
Peter Palaitis
Susan Danley
INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY DATA
Brenda A. Brickhouse
Darlene Kozlowski
Elizabeth Michael
Helen Kelly
Shirley R. Bryant
COUNSEL
COMMISSION
EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR
INFORMATION
TECHNOLOGY
FINANCE &
ADMINISTRATION
DEPUTY EXECUTIVE
DIRECTOR
COMPLIANCE DIVISION
REVIEW AND
INVESTIGATION
LAW DIVISION
LEGAL SECTION
ELEC OVERVIEW
24 2023 Annual Report
Election
Law
Enforcement
Commission
L
E EC
1973
1973
Frank P. Reiche, Chair
Judge Sidney Goldmann, Vice Chair
Judge Bartholomew Sheehan,
Commissioner
Florence P. Dwyer, Commissioner
1974-1979
Frank P. Reiche, Chair
Judge Sidney Goldmann, Vice Chair
Josephine Margetts, Commissioner
Archibald S. Alexander, Commissioner
1980-1981
Judge Sidney Goldmann, Chair
Josephine Margetts, Vice Chair
Andrew C. Axtell, Commissioner
M
. R
obert DeCotiis, Commissioner
1982-1983
Andrew C. Axtell, Chair
M
. R
obert DeCotiis, Vice Chair
Justice Haydn Proctor, Commissioner
Alexander P. Waugh, Jr., Commissioner
1984-1986
Andrew C. Axtell, Chair
Alexander P. Waugh, Jr., Vice Chair
Justice Haydn Proctor, Commissioner
Owen V. McNanny III, Commissioner
1987-1988
Judge Stanley G. Bedford, Chair
Owen V. McNany, III, Vice Chair
Andrew C. Axtell, Commissioner
David Linett, Commissioner
1989-1990
Judge Stanley G. Bedford, Chair
Owen V. McNany, III, Vice Chair
David Linett, Commissioner
S.
E
lliott Mayo, Commissioner
1991-1992
Owen V. McNany, III, Chair
Judge Stanley G. Bedford,
Commissioner
David Linett, Commissioner
1993-1994
Owen V. McNany, III, Chair
William H. Eldridge, Vice Chair
David Linett, Commissioner
1995
William H. Eldridge, Chair
Owen V. McNany, III, Vice Chair
David Linett, Commissioner
Michael Chertoff, Commissioner
1996
Judge Ralph V. Martin, Chair
David Linett, Vice Chair
Paula A. Franzese, Commissioner
1997-2000
Judge Ralph V. Martin, Chair
David Linett, Vice Chair
Paula A. Franzese, Commissioner
Lynnan B. Ware, Commissioner
2001
Judge Ralph V. Martin, Chair
Paula A. Franzese, Vice Chair
Lynnan B. Ware, Commissioner
Susan S. Lederman, Commissioner
2002-2003
Judge Ralph V. Martin, Chair
Paula A. Franzese, Vice Chair
Susan S. Lederman, Commissioner
Peter J. Tober, Commissioner
2004-2006
Jerry Fitzgerald English, Chair
Peter J. Tober, Vice Chair
Albert Burstein, Commissioner
Judge Theodore Z. Davis, Commissioner
2007
Jerry Fitzgerald English, Chair
Peter J. Tober, Vice Chair
Albert Burstein, Commissioner
20
08-2009
Jerry Fitzgerald English, Chair
Peter J. Tober, Vice Chair
Albert Burstein, Commissioner
Judge Amos C. Saunders, Commissioner
2010
Jerry Fitzgerald English, Chair
Judge Amos C. Saunders, Vice Chair
Albert Burstein, Commissioner
Ronald DeFilippis, Commissioner
2011
Ronald DeFilippis, Chairman
Walter F. Timpone, Vice Chairman
Judge Amos C. Saunders, Commissioner
Judge Lawrence Weiss, Commissioner
(Appointed 4-2011- Deceased 11-13-2011)
Jerry Fitzgerald English, Commissioner
(Retired 3-15-2011)
2012-2015
Ronald DeFilippis, Chairman
Walter F. Timpone, Vice Chairman
Judge Amos C. Saunders, Commissioner
(Deceased 8-16-2015)
2016
Ronald DeFilippis, Chairman
Walter F. Timpone, Vice Chairman
(Resigned 5-2-2016)
2
017
(Retired 7-2017)
Ronald DeFilippis, Chairman
7-2017-3/2023
Eric H. Jaso, Chairman
Judge Stephen M. Holden, Commissioner
Marguerite T. Simon, Commissioner
7-2023
Thomas H. Prol, Chairman
Ryan Peters, Commissioner
Norma R. Evans, Commissioner
Jon-Henry Barr, Commissioner
EX
ECUTIVE DIRECTORS
1973-1976 David F. Norcross
1976-1981 Lewis B. Thurston, III
1981-1984 Scott A. Weiner
1984-2009 Frederick M. Herrmann
2009-2023 Jeffrey M. Brindle
ACTING EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR
11.2023 Joseph W. Donohue
LE
GAL COUNSEL
1973-1994 Edward J. Farrell
1994-2012 James P. Wyse
2012-Present Edwin R. Matthews
CONSULTANT
1973-1978, 1982, 1986-1988
Herbert E. Alexander
