Karcher wants probe of Beck's letter to voters

[cheryl]

Karcher wants probe of Beck's letter to voters about Earle housing
Posted by the Asbury Park Press on 09/25/07

BY LARRY HIGGS
COASTAL MONMOUTH BUREAU

State Sen. Ellen Karcher, D-Monmouth, wants an investigation into whether state funds were improperly used when her opponent in this fall's Senate race, Assemblywoman Jennifer Beck, R-Monmouth, distributed letters to some Tinton Falls residents directing them to a Web site that Karcher said is partisan.

The Web site, sponsored by the 12th District Republican candidates, urges viewers to oppose the Navy's plan to allow civilians to live on Naval Weapons Station Earle.

Karcher asked for the investigation in letters delivered Monday morning to the Legislature's Joint Committee on Ethical Standards and the state Election Law Enforcement Commission.

Beck said that the July 2007 letter in question was a handout distributed to residents of the Seabrook Village retirement community at a monthly meeting she holds there, and acknowledged that state funds were used to produce that handout. A separate letter about the Earle issue, on campaign letterhead and paid for by the GOP campaign, was mailed to Tinton Falls residents in August, she said.

"The letter from July 2007 was not mailed. That was handed out at Seabrook Village along with the petition. That was a legitimate use of my legislative office to inform them about an issue," Beck said.

The handout is on "New Jersey State Legislature" letterhead, has a July 2007 date and is addressed to "Dear Tinton Falls Resident." It directs them to "our website at "www.nociviliansatearle.org' " to sign an online petition. When that site is accessed, a banner over the top of the site says "Sponsored by Beck for Senate, O'Scanlon and Casagrande for Assembly." Declan O'Scanlon and Caroline Casagrande are Beck's running mates.

The Web page contains information about the issue and a link to sign the petition.

Karcher said that legislators aren't allowed to send out mailings within 90 days of a general election. While the mailer had a July 2007 date, she said residents brought them to her attention in mid-August.

"It (the Web site) talks about them as candidates. No reform-minded people would use state resources to send people to a political Web site," Karcher said. "We want to get to the bottom of how state resources are being used, especially by people who talk about reform."

In a news release, Karcher also questioned if state computers were used to construct the Web site and if state employees did the work.

Beck said the Web site was funded by candidate funds and is permitted.

"I used my campaign funds to sponsor a Web site. It is an issue-based Web site, which is permissible and legitimate," Beck said. "The bottom line is not a single taxpayer dollar was used, and this is a frivolous complaint."

Beck also criticized Karcher for not taking a stand on the issue of allowing civilians to live on about 300 homes at Earle, a prospect that concerns officials in Tinton Falls and Colts Neck because of the potential for a large influx of schoolchildren.

"I've been trying to involve residents of Colts Neck and Tinton Falls in a critical issue. It's all about being responsive to the residents I represent," Beck said. "Unfortunately, Mrs. Karcher has not been an effective leader and has not yet to say word one about Earle."

Robert Corrales, campaign manager for Karcher, said they received a copy of the July 2007 letter from a Tinton Falls resident who said it had been mailed to a home.

"That's why she (Karcher) asked for the investigation, to get to the bottom of this," he said.

He added that Karcher opposes allowing civilian occupancy at Earle.

www.app.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20070925/NEWS/709250373

[cheryl]

... can be viewed at: www.ellenkarcher.com/documents/361.pdf

[adefonzo]

I don't believe Karcher is actually going to try and claim that Jennifer Beck is using taxpayer dollars illegally!!! This seemingly baseless claim is coming from a woman who has sat back and watched her party run rampant with taxpayer dollars over the course of her term in office and done nothing because she didn't want to upset the "party bosses".

Here's an idea for Senator Karcher...and all politicians who are trying to run for office...

Debate the issues!!!! Stop slinging mud just to plant a seed of doubt in voter's minds!!!!

Karcher knows all too well that nowadays, you don't have to prove that someone has done something wrong or unethical, you just have to mention it in the press...then the idiots just read the paper and assume that it's true (face it folks, the majority of us are idiots - we'll believe just about anything we read). Once the seed of doubt is planted, Karcher has won the battle. Even if this whole thing is proven wrong and Jennifer Beck is completely exonerated, the story in the papers won't be thrust in our face nearly as much as the original accusations.

Unfortunately, society today (and that means all of us idiots) have been trained to look for the scandal and assume the worst right away rather than allowing the facts to bubble to the surface.

Remember the Duke Lacrosse case? How many months did we hear about how guilty these kids were? And then how long did the story last when all the charges were dropped? It's not even a close.

Getting back to my suggestion that Karcher and all politicians debate the issues...perhaps it's just that Karcher knows she doesn't have a leg to stand on when it comes to actually debating issues like ethics reform, property tax relief, fixing the school funding system, or any other topic you can think of that makes this state the most crooked state in the United States? I'm willing to bet that you won't see any plans as to what Karcher will do if she is re-elected...rather I predict a lot of "What I have done while I have been in office..." type statements from her and her campaign. Then again...it's just my opinion.

[cheryl]

adefonzo said:

I don't believe Karcher is actually going to try and claim that Jennifer Beck is using taxpayer dollars illegally!!! This seemingly baseless claim is coming from a woman who has sat back and watched her party run rampant with taxpayer dollars over the course of her term in office and done nothing because she didn't want to upset the "party bosses".

Here's an idea for Senator Karcher...and all politicians who are trying to run for office...

Debate the issues!!!! Stop slinging mud just to plant a seed of doubt in voter's minds!!!!

Surely your admonition extends to Beck as well? Or is slinging mud a-okay, as long as it happens from that direction?

www.politicsnj.com/beck-wants-ethics-investigation-karcher-mailer-12162

Beck wants ethics investigation of Karcher mailer
By Editor - September 26, 2007 - 3:17pm

For the second time this week, a candidate in the hotly contested 12th district State Senate is calling for a state ethics investigation. Jennifer Beck, a Republican Assemblywoman, says that State Sen. Ellen Karcher's campaign paid for a mailer that directed responses to a taxpayer-paid legislative office.

“It appears that Senator Karcher was attempting to get around the August 8 mail deadline by sending out a campaign-funded mail piece and then directing recipients to her district office,” Beck said. “The public needs to know how the information gathered from these responses is being used and whether district office staff is collecting this information for campaign purposes.” Beck wants the Legislative Committee on Ethical Standards to investigate.

Because the Karcher mail piece was sent out in the middle of a campaign, Beck says she will ask the Legislative Committee on Ethical Standards to explore whether it crosses a legal or ethical line in utilizing district office staff to handle responses to what is clearly a campaign season, political mailer.

[cheryl]

www.politicsnj.com/beck-calls-ethics-probe-karcher-campaign-season-mailer-using-legislative-resources-12160

BECK CALLS FOR ETHICS PROBE OF KARCHER CAMPAIGN SEASON MAILER USING LEGISLATIVE RESOURCES
By KAntonello - September 26, 2007 - 3:04pm
Release Date: September 26, 2007

BECK CALLS FOR ETHICS PROBE OF KARCHER CAMPAIGN SEASON MAILER USING LEGISLATIVE RESOURCES


SENT AFTER DEADLINE FOR UNSOLICITED

LEGISLATIVE MAIL; UTILIZES LEGISLATIVE STAFF

Assemblywoman Jennifer Beck today called for the Legislative Committee on Ethical Standards to investigate a campaign funded mail piece that was sent out by Senator Ellen Karcher directing recipients to return a response card to Karcher’s legislative district office requiring the use of taxpayer funded resources to handle the response.

“It appears that Senator Karcher was attempting to get around the August 8 mail deadline by sending out a campaign-funded mail piece and then directing recipients to her district office,” Beck said. “The public needs to know how the information gathered from these responses is being used and whether district office staff is collecting this information for campaign purposes.”

The mail piece on Internet predators, which urges recipients to reply to Karcher’s legislative office in support of her initiative, was paid for the New Jersey Democrat State Committee, and was mailed out after the August 8 deadline that prohibits incumbent legislators from sending out unsolicited mail from their district offices.

Beck said that because the mail piece was sent out in the middle of a campaign, she will ask the Legislative Committee on Ethical Standards to explore whether it crosses a legal or ethical line in utilizing district office staff to handle responses to what is clearly a campaign season, political mailer.

“Ellen Karcher made it clear this week that she is concerned about the line between campaign activities and legislative duties, yet she seems to be blurring that line by her own actions,” Beck said. “The ethics committee should review this matter to clarify whether mixing campaign funded mail and district office staff after the August 8 deadline is a violation of the letter or spirit of the law.”

Beck noted that she has been a strong supporter of efforts to crack down on sex offenders and has sponsored legislation to protect children from these predators including Assembly Bill A-3898 which provides for the supervision of certain convicted sex offender's e-mails. But Beck said the issue here is not Karcher’s legislation, rather her efforts to use a politically funded mail piece to collect contact information from potential voters using legislative staff.

Formal complaints have been filed with the Election Law Enforcement Commission and the Joint Committee on Ethical Standards. Copies of the letter are attached.

###




September 26, 2007



Frederick M. Herrmann

Executive Director

Election Law Enforcement Commission

P.O. Box 185

28 West State Street

Trenton, New Jersey 08625



Dear Mr. Herrmann:

This letter is to request that the Election Law Enforcement Commission (ELEC) launch a formal investigation into the circumstances surrounding the preparation and distribution of a mail piece that was mailed by Senator Ellen Karcher after August 8, 2007. A copy of the mailer, which contains statements concerning Senator Karcher’s governmental objectives and legislative efforts to increase Internet safety and penalize Internet predators, is enclosed for ELEC’s review.



As you are aware, under N.J.A.C. 19:25-10.10, an incumbent legislator who is a candidate in an election is restricted from sending unsolicited mail from his or her legislative district office 90 days prior to the election. The mail piece was paid for by the New Jersey Democrat State Committee, however, it directed recipients to respond to Senator Karcher’s legislative district office.

I believe this may be an attempt to circumvent state election laws that are designed to prohibit the use of public resources for political purposes by restricting unsolicited mail from a legislative district office within 90 days of an election. In addition, it may be a further violation of the law since it utilizes legislative staff to handle the response to what is clearly a campaign-season, political mailer. If Senator Karcher is prohibited from sending this type of mail from her district office, it would seem inconsistent to allow her district office to handle the response to such mail.

Several issues need to be resolved in this matter including who is gathering the information that comes into Senator Karcher’s district office in response to this letter and how that information is being used. Clearly using such information for campaign purposes would be unacceptable as a misuse of public taxpayer resources.

I am bringing this to your attention as a formal complaint and am asking that ELEC immediately investigate this matter. If you need any additional information please contact me. Thank you for your prompt attention to this matter.

Sincerely,



Jennifer Beck, Assemblywoman

12th Legislative District



enclosure

September 26, 2007



The Honorable Herbert S. Friend

Vice Chairman

Joint Committee on Ethical Standards

Room 210 State House Annex

Trenton, New Jersey 08625



Dear Judge Friend:

This letter is to request that the Joint Committee on Ethical Standards (Ethics Committee) launch a formal investigation into the circumstances surrounding the preparation and distribution of a mail piece that was sent out by Senator Ellen Karcher after August 8, 2007. A copy of the mailer, which contains statements concerning Senator Karcher’s governmental objectives and legislative efforts to increase Internet safety and penalize Internet predators, is enclosed for the Ethics Committee’s review.




At best this mailer is a clever attempt to circumvent the state election law prohibiting the dissemination of unsolicited communications touting governmental achievements from an incumbent legislator’s district office within 90 days of an election. The mail piece was paid for by the New Jersey Democrat State Committee, however, it directs recipients to respond to Senator Karcher’s legislative district office. Failure to follow the laws of this State is a serious ethics violation by an elected official.

However we believe Senator Karcher’s actions may be a further violation of the ethics laws since the mailer utilizes legislative staff to handle the response to what is clearly a campaign-season, political mailer. If Senator Karcher is prohibited from sending this type of mail from her district office, it would seem inconsistent to allow her district office to handle the response to such mail. Has Senator Karcher violated the provisions of Joint Rules 31, 33 and 33A that prohibit the use of partisan and district office staff for campaign purposes?

Several issues need to be resolved in this matter including who was responsible for preparing and distributing this mail piece, who is gathering the information that comes into Senator Karcher’s district office in response to this mailer and how that information is being used. Clearly using such information for campaign purposes would be unacceptable as a misuse of public resources in violation of Joint Rule 33.

I am bringing this to your attention as a formal complaint and am asking that the Ethics Committee immediately investigate this matter. If you need any additional information please contact me. Thank you for your prompt attention to this matter.

Sincerely,



Jennifer Beck, Assemblywoman

12th Legislative District



enclosure




Contact:

Kristin Antonello

[phone]

[adefonzo]

Mudslinging can absolutely happen on both sides of the aisle...without a doubt...which is why I say again that I wish all politicians would stick to debating the issues.

I'll stick my neck out, though. I admit, I am a supporter of Jennifer Beck, so I will be more likely to find a reason for her actions here.

If someone decided to attack me saying that I did something "illegal" or "unethical", and I knew of an instance where that person did the exact same thing...I would absolutely throw it back in their face. It's called not laying down and just taking a beating.

Jennifer Beck, from what I have seen, has tried to raise questions about real issues that affect the people in this district and the state as a whole. Ellen Karcher, from what I have seen, chooses instead to follow the party bosses, and expect re-election as a given right for an incumbent (as most politicians do, Republican or Democrat).

This is not the first attack that Karcher has thrown at Beck, and it won't be the last. She'll keep attacking Jennifer, and avoid dealing with the issues, all the way up to election day. I can only hope that people will see through the BS and vote for the person that they think will deal with the multitude of problems that are facing this state.