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Briana: Tonight on "NJ Spotlight News" -- The recovery phase is over, but the investigation into what caused the tour helicopter to crash into the Hudson River continues.

Plus, NJ Decides 2025.

The race for governor heats up and so does the scrutiny of outside spending for NJEA president Sean Spiller's campaign.

>> We have seen outside spending from other sources but this is an unusual situation, because you have the union president getting the money from the union.

I don't know if you will see something like this again.

Briana: Also, traditional safety concerns as the trumpet ministration intensifies -- Trump administration intensifies criticism of the courts, judge Solis lobbies for tougher security measures.

And teens in Newark make history and cast their vote for the first time ever in school board elections.

>> I just really want to vote for somebody who will lead us into victory and will voice our opinions.

Briana: NJ Spotlight News begins right now.

♪ Announcer: From NJ PBS Studios, this is "NJ Spotlight news" with Briana Vannozzi.

Briana: Good evening and thanks for joining us on this Tuesday night.

I'm Briana Vannozzi.

We begin with a few of today's top headlines.

First, the state is trying to make sure that train commuters do not go through another summer of hell.

Leaders from New Jersey transit held an event today to talk about how the agencies are working together to keep trains running reliably ahead of and during the busy summer travel season, touting a progress report on the joint inspection, maintenance and improvements to Amtrak's infrastructure and New Jersey transit trains.

Amtrak says the company has spent more than $12 million in upgrades the last year and is planning to spend another $40 million this fiscal year.

New Jersey transit today said it will modernize the entire real fleets over the next several years, noting that on-time performance is now over 90%.

According to officials, the point is to avoid a repeat of summers past when major disruptions, cancellations and delays left riders stranded and fuming.

Governor Murphy said he will fix transit even if it kills them.

Recovery efforts are officially over with the fatal crash of a sightseeing helicopter into the Hudson River.

The National Transportation Safety Board says teams retrieved the last key component of the aircraft, the tail rotor system, which Brenda Flanagan was able to capture on camera yesterday during her reporting.

Diapers from the NYPD worked with the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers and Jersey City OEM defined recover and secure the helicopter's main rotor system including the transmission and the roof beam, the main fusillades which includes the cockpit and cabin were acquired shortly after the crash.

They will be taken to a secure location to be investigated but they are still asking witnesses to send photos, videos or any information that could be helpful to the investigation.

The sightseeing chopper broke apart midair before crashing upside down into the Hudson, killing a family of five from Spain and the pilot.

The helicopter tour company has been shut down.

The NTSB says it will issue a preliminary report within 30 days and a probable cause for the crash within the next 12 months.

And a rare topic where the majority of voters agreed, according to a new poll, there is overwhelming support for making Atlantic City casinos smoke-free.

83% of South Jersey voters favor the ban, and 79% of those surveyed said they would be more likely to visit a casino if smoking were banned indoors.

The poll was commissioned by Americans for non-smokers rights and the campaign for tobacco free kids and also found voters would have a more positive outlook about their lawmakers if they backed the initiative.

Casinos have a carveout exempting them from a 2006 state law banning indoor smoking in virtually all other indoor places, but there's been a push to change that by union workers at several of Atlantic City's casinos who say their health has suffered from the effects of secondhand smoke.

Many lawmakers have been reluctant to take action, citing arguments from the casino industry that it will cost jobs and revenue over fears smokers will not visit the gambling halls.

Tonight, a deeper look at the role outside spending is playing in this year's race for governor.

Sean Spiller's campaign for the Democratic nomination has billed the one time Mayor as an underdog who represents the common worker.

But a $35 million war chest has allowed him to outpace heat each of his opponents boasting is ousting words, boosting his name recognition and chances of winning.

The catch is that part of cash is funded by teacher membership dues to the powerful union he heads and in full transparency Sean Spiller is a member of the NJPBS community advisory board.

Brent Johnson and Riley of NJ advanced media dug into the campaign-finance issue and Brent joins me now.

Brent, thanks for coming in.

Right off the bat I want to know how this level of spending by a single source and by a union of which this candidate is the head of shaping this election and future elections down the road.

>> This is a very unusual instance of, we have seen outside spending from other sources, but this is an unusual situation because you have the union president getting the money from the union.

I don't know if you'll ever see something like this again.

But it is indicative of how much outside spending pores into races these days.

It's not just candidates raising money.

It's all these different places pouring money into candidates.

They are not supposed to have coordination or anything.

But it is all money that does boost the candidate.

Briana: You spoke with teachers.

Largely, were they aware that their union dues are being spent to help prop up this campaign?

How did they feel about it?

Obviously not every teacher -- teachers are not a monolith.

They fall all across the political spectrum.

>> Was called recently retired teachers and they -- most of them were not aware that their money was being used in this way.

One told me that if this is really happening, I'm not happy about it.

One teacher went on the record and said this is not how they expected union dues to be spent.

There are 20,000 teachers in the union and several teachers who do support his candidacy.

He says that he will give them the biggest voice and stand up for teachers.

But this is not everyone.

Briana: Some are happy about it.

>> Some are happy about it.

Briana: They want to see their union teachers have a seat at really the highest table in government.

>> Yeah.

The idea is that will help drive turnout.

That will help them vote for him.

Certainly a number of teachers felt like they were in the dark on this and not happy about it.

Briana: Is the spending coming primarily from the dues?

How are we able to track this pack money?

Are there other sources that are being used toward it?

>> It's tough to track.

IRS filings show so much.

Sean Spiller told me union dues are going to this.

I don't know exactly how much.

It seems to be the union dues and money from the union, primarily where the money is coming from.

Briana: Is there an argument to be made, hey, listen, you can at least know where this money is coming from?

It's not coming from dark money, Elon Musk has at least -- as at least one person said in your story.

>> That's one argument.

It's coming from bus drivers, working-class people.

It is not from Elon Musk.

It's not from all these corporations.

That's the argument.

I'm getting it from sources you know and these are working-class people.

Briana: What do we know about his campaign in terms of how much he is looking for outside campaign donations and funding?

We are hosting a debate in May.

He did not qualify for the debate because he did not qualify for matching funds from the state.

What does that say about the viability of his campaign stacked up to some of the other candidates?

>> there's two parts to that.

He won't be on the stage which is a big hit to his campaign because he is not raising money beyond what he's getting from the union.

And so that will be a detriment to him because he won't be standing there with the other candidates.

But you could say all $35 million of it is funding all the television ads and flyers.

You drive down the turnpike and you will see a picture of Sean Spiller on a billboard saying he's going to fight Trump.

So having the money there helps him that way.

Getting it from the teachers union means he's not going to get it elsewhere and he won't be on the debate stage.

Briana: Is there a sense that it will impact voter perception when you have a union like this which has long been influential in Trenton?

Has spent lots of money in past elections.

That's not new.

But that they are blurring the lines this time.

Did you get that sense in talking to voters?

>> It's tough, because in the primary, this is not as much of an issue, because the union is a large voting block among a smaller primary pool.

But the NJEA on the right has been seen as an enemy for many years.

This will definitely be an issue that the right will bring up.

The NJEA has their own candidate trying to get the union into the governor's office.

It's not as big a deal in the primary right now.

Although the teachers -- Except the teachers who don't like this is going on.

Briana: Is there anything happening either with elec or elsewhere in terms of campaign to really look at this money, scrutinize the fact that is going from union, or for other candidates for that matter because we know that with the election transparency act it's a little dodgy now in terms of tracking.

>> The thought is experts will say this shows that there needs to be reformed on the road but -- down the road but now it is perfectly legal, you have other candidates certainly getting outside pack money.

It's a brave New World with dark money coming into campaigns to become the norm.

Briana: Brett Johnson with NJ EA advanced media, things are coming in.

-- thanks for coming in.

Briana: Federal judges in New Jersey and across the country are calling on the Trump administration to tone down hostile language being used by the -- about the courts, especially on judges who handle cases related to the president's policies.

U.S. District Judge Esther Solis says the rhetoric has resulted in an unprecedented number of threats to those to work in the judiciary and their families, including anonymous pizzas being delivered to the homes of federal judges using her murdered son's name to intimidate them.

She and others want the White House to show support for the judicial branch and for more states to pass the safety law that bears her diseased son Daniel's name.

Senior correspondent Brenda Flanagan reports.

>> We are facing what appears to be a targeted strike against judges in the form of intimidation by unknown sources.

Reporter: New Jersey judge Esther Solis joined a seminar called speak up for justice that addressed an escalating storm of political outrage, social media docs sing -- doxxing and covert retaliation against U.S. judges from angry extremists.

She described a new tactic.

>> Hundreds of pizzas have been delivered to judges all over this country in the last few months.

And in the last few weeks, judges' children, saying, I know where you live.

Reporter: She says her late son's name was included with recent pizza deliveries.

Daniel died, shot dead at the family home's front door by an angry lawyer, who she ruled against five years ago.

>> And now, Daniel's name is being weaponized to bring fear to judges and their children.

Saying to those judges, you want to end up like Judge Solis?

Liker son -- Like her son?

Reporter: She has urged federal investigators to find those responsible and has urged other states to adopt laws similar to the one bearing her son's name that protects judges' private data.

Today's panel called for lawyers and judicial groups to stand up to intensified partisan attacks.

>> Increasingly, these attacks have included threats and attempts to intimidate judges by threatening impeachment based on nothing more than the fact that they disagree with the ruling the judges made.

Reporter: The panelists scrupulously avoided naming names, but the most recent clash involved the administration's fury over an emigrant -- an immigrant deportation case, with officials decrying judicial tyranny and Marxist judges.

>> We have bad judges.

We have very bad judges.

These are judges that should not be allowed.

Reporter: The president also posted, this judge like many of the quicker judges I am forced to appear before, should be impeached.

But Supreme Court Chief Justice John Roberts rebuked Trump, noting, for more than two centuries, has been established that impeachment is not an appropriate response to this agreement concerning a judicial decision.

The normal appellate review process exists for that purpose.

>> This is their judiciary, this is their rule of law, this is what makes our democracy and our government.

Reporter: Former Prosecutor Nole leads a new coalition that is focused on Jersey's Daniel's law.

Governor Murphy signed it in 2020.

>> This is now the law of the land.

Reporter: But Trenton legislators amended the statute in 2023 to let third party firms like Atlas Privacy file lawsuits if companies do not delete clients' private data fast enough.

It's filed 140 lawsuits worth millions of dollars.

>> Right now, the law is in such a state of disarray, it is not being enforced, and that is a bad thing.

What matters is Daniel's law needs to be fixed.

Reporter: He says lawmakers should restore the original Daniel's law and then fix the problem surrounding data privacy.

But Atlas has argued Daniel's law is simply too great a threat to the business models of companies that harvest and use data.

Ironically, the issue is now the subject of court battles.

I'm Brenda Flanagan, NJ Spotlight News.

Briana: The state's new acting U.S. Attorney, Alina Habba, has given a preview of what to expect while she holds a seat even if it's only temporary.

President Trump's former personal attorney says she has launched an investigation into Governor Murphy and Attorney General Matt Platkin claiming the state's emigrant trust -- immigrant trust directive from 2018 is keeping law enforcement from coordinating with federal immigration agents, which the administration refutes.

But a senior political correspondent David Cruz reports, the threat is a signal that is just the first of more to come.

Reporter: Most expectations are that attorney Alina Habba's term as the federal government's top prosecutor in New Jersey will not exceed the 120 days called for by law.

Generally if the Senators from the state disapprove of the interim pick, the nomination fails.

But the woman who openly expressed hope of turning New Jersey red politically has wasted little time in making it clear that while she is here, she will serve the president's political goals, mainly the part about making things tough for Democrats, announcing on Fox news an investigation into the state's Democratic governor, Phil Murphy, and the Attorney General he appointed, Matt Platkin.

>> Pam Bondi has made it clear, and so has our president, that we are to take all criminal -- violent criminals and criminals out of this country and completely enforce federal law, and anybody who gets in the way of what we are doing which is not political, it is simply against crime, will be charged in the state of New Jersey for obstruction, for concealment, and I will come after them hard.

Reporter: Casting a wide net, she said, warning local officials in Patterson and even federal officials like Senator Cory Booker to steer clear of her efforts.

But the tough talk does not seem to have rattled anyone in her sights, just yet.

>> I know the interim U.S. attorney.

She has been there that long.

She wants to politicize the office.

I hope she starts doing her job.

I have reached out multiple ways and she has not wanted to have a conversation.

Reporter: Platkin says the directive which predates them by -- him by several years has been upheld by the courts.

It's not sanctuary, says the states.

It's fair treatment under the law.

>> New Jersey police officers cannot participate in several immigration -- civil immigration enforcement operations.

They cannot stop, question, arrest, search or detain you simply because they think you might be undocumented.

They cannot ask your immigration status, except in the rare case when it is relevant to a specific criminal investigation.

If you were arrested, they cannot allow federal civil immigration authorities to interview you or jail you without your permission.

The rules apply to all state and local officers in New Jersey.

Reporter: But that has left some Police Departments wondering which guidelines to follow.

One Republican lawmaker says he thinks it is time to repeal the directive altogether to make it clear for everyone.

>> What is clear here is the state is saying we disabilities -- municipalities must abide by the state law.

So if our state government expects to be taken seriously by the governments below them, the counties and the towns, there's a bit of a disconnect when they are saying to the federal government above the state that, no, we don't like this, we are not going to comply.

They noncompliance here but you have to comply with us in order to not comply.

>> It's got an element that does not get as much air time that is worth ending on, which is it basically allows an individual regardless of what their immigration status is to feel free to approach public servants including members of law enforcement and basically say that guy over there is the murderer you are looking for, the bank robber, the rapist you are looking for, that person is able to do that without any fear of their own status.

Reporter: But anti-immigrant sentiment, especially among conservatives here, is holding steady.

And the Trump Administration appears to have found an eager tool with which to flame it.

I'm David Cruz, NJ Spotlight News.

Briana: A historic day in Newark where 16 and 17-year-old are headed to the polls to vote a school board -- in school board elections for the first time in state history.

Choosing among a large a slate of candidates to fill the seats, Newark city Council approved the move to let teens vote in the race following a student led campaign to give young people a say in elections that directly impact them.

Advocates also saw it as a way to address low turnout by expanding the pool of eligible voters but did it.

Ted Goldberg reports.

Reporter: Today is no regular school day in Newark.

After class, 16 and 17-year-olds will head to the ballot box and cast their vote for candidates.

The first time anyone this young can register and vote.

>> It's a great experience to be able to vote.

It's our school.

You want to vote for your future.

>> It's exciting because I feel like younger teens, we have a chance at freedom now -- we have our right and our opinion is heard.

>> To have them involved is actually very excellent.

I'm down for it.

>> Destiny Lee as a substitute -- is a substitute teacher at University high school 1800 or so minors were registered to vote.

>> Now it's time to provide more information to the younger generations to let them know why voting is very impactful for each individual.

>> The most common criticism we hear his people think young -- is people think young people are not ready or young people are going to sort of sell their vote or are not informed of what's happening.

But I think the response is pretty simple.

When you talk to young people, young people know exactly who they are voting for and they are able to align their values.

That has also been shown in scientific research.

We can see that 16-year-olds can align their values just as well as 18-year-olds.

>> They have answers.

They have issues.

They are organizing around those issues.

They have already been doing this.

So this vote gives them that extra power, that real voting power to continue the activism they have already been doing.

Reporter: Voters I spoke to at University high school told me what inspired them to choose their three school board candidates out of an 11 person field.

>> I just really want to vote for somebody who will lead us into victory and will voice our opinions.

>> The way they presented what they were talking about -- because you kind of could feel that they will be able to keep that up and be able to make your wants a need -- a priority rather.

>> Reporter: This push has been a few years coming to make minors more civically-minded.

So Newark city Council passed an ordinance allowing them to vote in January last year.

>> Young people have been driving this moment for the last year.

They have been talking to their peers about it and getting registered and getting ready to vote themselves.

We are excited to finally be able to step into this moment and have a real seat at the table.

A real voice in a democracy.

-- in our democracy.

>> I think the word is historic.

I think people are going to look back at this decades from now and realize how powerful it was to allow young people to be part of this process.

Reporter: As historic as the school board election is, advocates say it could be just the start of having 16 and 17 year olds vote another elections going forward.

-- in other elections going forward.

>> We are hoping that today serves as inspiration, a motivating moment for local officials to go back and finish the job.

Let young people have a seat at the table, a voice in another -- in our other municipal elections.

>> New Jersey is leading the way of the school board side and Jersey City will lead the way when it comes to the municipal side.

Reporter: Voting advocate Mr. Ali is also running for mayor and Jersey City where a similar push is underway to allow 16 and 17-year-olds place at the ballot.

The school district and no is largest in the state giving high school students real power during their first trip to the polls.

In Newark, Ted Goldberg, NJ Spotlight News.

Briana: That's going to do it for us tonight, but before we go, a reminder you can download our podcast wherever you listen and watch as any time by -- us any time by subscribing to the NJ Spotlight News YouTube channel.

You can follow us on Instagram and blue sky to stay up-to-date on all the state's big headlines.

I'm Briana Vannozzi.

For the entire team at NJ Spotlight News, thanks for being with us.

Have a great night.

See you right back here tomorrow.

>> NJM insurance group, serving the insurance needs of residents and businesses for more than 100 years.

Horizon Blue Cross Blue Shield of New Jersey, an independent licensee of the Blue Cross Blue Shield Association.

And by the PSEG foundation.

♪ >> Have some water.

Look at these kids.

How are you?

What do you see?

I see myself.

I became an ESL teacher to give my students what I wanted when I came to this country.

The opportunity to learn, to dream, to achieve, a chance to be known and to be an American.

My name is Julia Toriani Crompton, and I am proud to be an NJEA member.

>> Public service is what we do.

At the PSEG foundation, we volunteer hours, partnerships and all other contributions.

We are committed to empowering communities.

We work hand-in-hand with you our neighbors to educate young people, support research, environmental sustainability, and equitable opportunities, provide training and other services all over New Jersey and Long Island.

Uplifting communities.

That's what drives us.

The PSEG foundation.

>> For more than a century, New Jersey realtors has worked to advocate for homeownership and private property rights.

Whether it's your home or business, we work on the issues that matter here in Trenton and in your neighborhood.

As the voice for real estate in New Jersey, we support initiatives that safeguard homeownership, strengthen communities, and reinforce our economy.

Learn more at NJrealtor.com.