>> Funding for Reporters Roundtable with David Cruz is provided by, RWJ Barnabas health, let's be healthy together, serving the insurance needs of New Jersey residents and businesses for more than 100 years.

Promotional support provided by New Jersey business magazine.

The magazine of the industry Association, wrote Orting to executive and tax reporting to executive and legislative leaders to 1964.

And by politicos New Jersey playbook, online at Politico.com.

♪ >> Elect is dead, long live elect.

It is Reporters Roundtable.

Our panel today, Nancy Solomon is senior of order for WNYC.

Ben Johnson is the politics of order.

And Terex McDonald is editor at New Jersey monitor.

We will get to the panel in a few minutes.

We begin by picking the meat off the bones of the late election law commission, the subject of attack in the form of a piece of legislation called the elections transparency act.

Joining us as a former member of the elect commission who was -- who had a front row to the event the past several months.

He is Stephen Holden.

Welcome to Reporters Roundtable.

So, let's start with the resignations.

You and Commissioner Simon, you were holdovers, until you resigned.

Why did you resign?

Why did you try to unresign?

>> We resigned because it appeared to us that the election law obstruction act was attempting to eviscerate the most important parts of the election law statute that had served the state citizens well for 50 years.

>> What is the most egregious part of this bill in your mind?

>> I think the reduction of the statute of limitations to two years and it's retroactive applicability.

>> It was last week, you tried to rescind your resignation.

What was that all about?

>> Yeah.

It's a little more subtle than that.

When commissioners had resigned in the past and sent letters of resignation, those letters were accepted with an acknowledgment resignation and a thank you for your service.

Additionally, the statute says, holdover commissioners are not removed until such time as they were replaced.

Those two factors, from my perspective, led to ambiguity.

We submitted our resignation letters.

I should speak for myself.

I submitted my resignation letter.

I never heard anything about -- my assumption was that the government had made choices a new he was going to appoint.

We did not hear anything about appointments.

I did not hear any acknowledgment of the receipt of my resignation.

Last month's meeting got canceled.

The elect meeting got canceled because there were no commissioners.

This month's meeting will be canceled because there are no commissioners.

I became concerned about the ongoing responsibilities and obligations.

The staff continued to work.

They worked very hard.

They do with the elect staff is always done.

But, in the meantime, I thought it would be important to get a determination.

>> were you trying to make a point?

>> in part, sure.

>> what was that point?

>> Well, the point was, the changes in the statute, undid the authority and the ability of elect to do the work.

The concept of the meeting, under the open public meeting act, the ex commissioners Simon and I, cannot talk about anything substantive.

It would have been a moment in which we would have convened a meeting and would have discussed the elect.

In the event that we had determined, had we not received a letter from the governor, plans that we were still commissioners, I would have gone on to talk about the several important things that an elect should continue to do.

I thought that elect as an institution has standing to question the reduction of the statute from 10 years to two years.

As I know you know, the federal statute is five years.

What the reductions of two years in activity does, I would've made statements, is undue many years of work.

It has a specific financial benefit to four organizations that had been fined recently.

As it turns out, based upon the article I read in the record, and the elect reports that I subsequently, personally viewed, it had the potential for us bushes -- attention for a specific financial benefit for the sponsor of the bill.

>> You are talking about Senate President makes Qatari -- Nick Scatari.

A piece by Ashley, which revealed that over half $1 million in campaign finances may have been in properly -- improperly annotated or located to elect.

The main sponsor of the bill would not be affected by any kind of elect action because that action took place beyond the statute of limitations.

Is that right?

>> The prior 12 years.

The most recent two years would be impacted by it.

The answer is, yes.

There is this notion that there should not be any "special legislation" coming out of the assembly and Senate.

It appears that this particular modification in the Bell has a specific -- bill may have a specific financial benefit to the principal sponsor of the bill.

That's not -- you know.

[Laughter] >> It is not nothing.

Let's put it that way.

What kind of person would you recommend for a job?

Now it is a job.

As a Commissioner on elect.

>> Within the statute, there are some criteria, there are some people whose status and positions are not permitted.

Elect, if you believe in the importance of the public being able to understand the origins of money given to elected officials, the statutory, and really the moral obligation of legislatures, to use the money that they collected in a specific way, then I would hope that the people selected to become commissioners would be able to read the statute, understand the importance, that there should not be mystery money, nor should the are -- there be mystery of expenditures.

And make certain that the public becomes aware of, and is knowledgeable of, how the money is collect, where it comes from.

Whether there is any potential.

Also, -- I'm sorry.

>> That's all right.

A two-part question, here's a minute for you to get both answers in life.

I wonder if you have any thoughts about the governor's role in all of this?

Secondly, what is next for you?

Are you going to be the guy who keeps an eye the guyson --keeps an eye on the guys?

[Laughter] >> I don't know.

>> Now you have a minute.

>> I don't know the role the governor plays.

I have had no contact with him.

I'm sure whatever role he played was quite -- part of an agreement between being in the legislature.

I'm not -- I have no plans for being the watchdog of the watchdog.

However, I will express my concerns that we have had good, solid people who have had suffered grave consequences with the misuse of campaign funds, and election money raised.

Rob Andrews, Sharpe James, Jesse Jackson Junior, they got in great, personal, political and financial trouble, because of their lack of compliance with election fundraising and expenditure roles.

>> Keeping an eye on the bad guys.

Stephen Holden, former elect Commissioner.

Thanks for taking a few minutes with us.

>> Good luck to whomever the governor fix.

>> Nancy, Terrence, good to see you all.

, elect is dead long live elect.

Terrence, elect is dead.

>> I don't know.

We don't know.

We don't know who Governor Murphy is putting on the panel.

It is interesting talking about the story about the Senate President.

I've talked to Mr. Holden and I like him and he seems like he is smart and he is passionate about this issue.

But some of these violations go back almost 10 years.

What has elect done about it, besides nothing?

They are going after nobodies who run for Lyndhurst Borough Council.

It seems like elect was not really doing what it should be doing.

I don't know whether it is going to now but we should find out once the governor names these folks to the Commissioner.

>> Good point.

When you look closer at the elect, you wonder what were they doing?

Nancy they are gutted of commissioners.

They have been defanged, beaten up by Democrats, how does elect recover if it can?

>> I don't know.

I don't know that it can.

We're in a situation where we're in a verifiable news desert.

The press in New Jersey has been carved back so much, that these are the two watchdogs that watch money in politics, reporters and elect.

We are seeing a deterioration in both camps.

That is a huge red flag I agree with Terrence.

They were already not doing enough and now it remains to be seen.

I would say this has been an Achilles heel for Governor Murphy he has had a fairly scandal free administration but money in politics and the fact that he is a dark money group that does not disclose its donors and now he has been Art of the gutting of this agency and will wait to see whether it gets rebuilt and what way it gets rebuilt, but even the law was passed and what the law does , there are a lot of problems.

I would save a big win for money in politics right now.

>> the story about the 500 thousand dollars in expenses not properly accounted for, that kind of says that offer critics.

>> Critics of ELEC?

>> critics of ELEC.

Both actually.

>> I guess the old term is, do we just not have anything?

Maybe there needs to be something put in place that is stronger.

I don't know if this law is going to do it.

Two things can be true at the same time.

This law could be right for criticism there is a lot of unknowns going forward at this time.

I guess we will wait and see.

>> Big news of the week, South Jersey powerbroker George Norcross told politico that he is stepping back from politics.

The same week when he hosted a fundraiser for his brother, Donald Norcross, the South Jersey Congressman.

A lot of points of interest.

Nancy, you have had your share of adventures with the Norcross machine over the past year.

Do you believe this?

Is he stepping back?

>> Not so much.

No.

I think the evidence of this week, of the fundraiser, the call with the South Jersey Democratic legislators is kind of two data points refuting this.

How does a guy who does not hold an official position step down from that position?

That is the first question.

It just does not make a lot of sense.

He seems to be having fun with the New Jersey press corps at the moment.

>> Is it a strategy on his part?

>> It is always a strategy.

Th guy is alwayse smart.

He has run a brilliant political machine.

He has amassed millions of dollars and political power doing it.

Anybody who underestimates him, does so at their own peril.

Trying to get inside his head and figure out what a strategy is, is pretty hard.

Saying that there is a strategy and he has a plan for how he is going to benefit from this announcement is pretty easy to him argue -- is a pretty easy argument to make.

>> Terrence it has been a rough couple of years for Norcross.

Sweeney's loss was historic.

Norcross says they will do whatever Sweeney wants, if Sweeney wants to run for governor.

Does Norcross have anything really to offer?

Everybody's going to have money who is running.

Does he have an operation to lend?

>> Yeah, sure, why not?

Just because he says he is not going to do it -- he does not have an actual job that there will be a resignation letter for, and someone else will take over for.

There's nothing stopping him from throwing $200 million.

>> Brent, Charlie style, the record says that the South Jersey Democrats are a regional party in a region that is trending hard away from Democrats.

So, is there a real danger that this machine is going to be less of a machine?

>> We have seen in the last two years that their power has diminished.

Those regions seem to be trending Republican.

I don't count George Norcross out from stepping in at any point and helping.

That is the thing about so many of the other potential candidates for governor.

On the Democratic side, they are from the north.

That gives Sweeney a monopoly on South Jersey.

Whether that helps him is yet to be seen.

The southern delegation is not as powerful as it used to be.

That is in large part because the areas trending in a different direction.

>> The spectacle of the week took place in New Hampshire.

The Former President Donald Trump got over an hour of free television time on CNN, in front of a cheering audience of Republicans.

Say what you will about from, CNN ain't clamoring for an hour of Joe Biden.

My question is, was this journalism, or politics?

[Laughter] >> why do I get that question?

It was a circus, clown show.

Just the addition of a super Maga audience that was going to cheer, like married with children, is evidence that this is a clown show.

It could have been an interview with the two of them.

But it had to be the spectacle.

It gets CNN ratings.

>> He seemed to be loving every minute of it.

But, any light out of all that noise?

>> It did seem to be a lot of things we already knew.

The thing is he very well could be the Republican nominee.

This harkens back to the first campaign of the question of, did so much unfiltered media coverage help give Donald Trump a nomination?

>> Nancy, I really could watch.

Did you watch any of this?

>> I did not watch it.

National politics and Trump are not my beat.

I'm happy to let others analyze it.

I will say, as a woman, the idea that he to news to call E. Jean Carroll a liar on national TV,i I'm dumbfounded by it, by the fact that, I understand why men in the Republican party want to run -- walkway from the #MeToo movement and acknowledgment of sexual assaults against women.

I'm dumbfounded by the number of women who support Trump, that this is not just a political career ending fact, that goes all the way back to the Hollywood Access tape.

I can't get past that one, that was in 2016.

So, I will just say, as a reader of the news, that is what stood out to me about the whole thing.

>> The worst to me was all the ridiculous sophomoric, idiotic things that were said, to create Applause.

Which is a whole other conversation.

Chris Christie called him a coward and a puppet of Putin, which is a pretty good band name.

We're supposed to be hearing from the former governor about whether he will jump into the ring.

A new poll finds that Trump trounces Christie among the GOP faithful in New Jersey.

Is there anything positive in this poll for Chris Christie to take away?

>> Yeah.

The poll shows even in his own state, Chris Christie does not have -- nearly has enough support is from does.

The one silver lining, however small, is that the poll asks questions about Trump's legal issues, when they asked about it first, Christie got a bump.

That could benefit Christie or other candidates in what is becoming a crowded Republican race.

Christie, it feels like he is trending towards announcing he's going to run, whether something like that gives them a real boost, has yet to be seen.

>> He would have to have a hell of an opening week to break is 1%.

Take an opportunity to talk him out of it.

>> There is no anti-Trump constituents -- constituency in the GOP that is large enough to win a primary with Trump in it.

He is not going to do it.

It is not there.

The Republican party likes Trump.

Even if he is not in the primary, there is no appetite for people who have maligned him in the past.

>> Take it from your good friend, Terrence McDonald.

Sit this one out.

Current governor is now, Nancy you are the host of ask Governor Murphy.

How is that going?

How has he grown since you started the show?

>> Interesting question.

>> I will give you 15 seconds to answer.

>> in terms of the show, he is gone relaxed.

He is doing a better job of answering questions then maybe he did at the beginning.

I'd say -- I don't know, the second term of Murphy, he's -- he seems to have lost his progressive way.

He does not seem to be going at the big issues that he was all about in his first term.

I'm kind of watching and wondering, what does he care about and where is he going?

>> it will be interesting to see, now that he will definitely not be a presidential contender, where that takes his policies?

>> Yes, exactly.

That was the thinking.

He was preparing himself for a national run.

And that is why he was moving back to the center.

There's a big fight coming about corporate business taxes.

He's really taking his foot off the gas pedal on that one.

We will see where that goes.

>> It is time for our only in Jersey moments, headlines and notes that are quintessentially Jersey.

Terrence, you got one?

>> Yes.

The assembly GOP this week, put out this rap song called "Murphy's money", griping about Murphy spending taxpayer money.

There a spoken word, an interlude from a campaign rally, where he was screaming at the top of his lungs about how the money that was going to build a school there is my money, his money.

It's hilarious.

Everybody should look it up, and put it on your card.

♪ [Laughter] >> Allow me to reintroduce myself.

Nancy, you have one for us?

>> I think we have to go back to George Norcross, announcing his retirement.

How Jersey is that?

You have a guy who has no official position in the party, has not had one since the 1980's.

He announces his retirement and grabs headlines with it.

To me, that says everything about the way New Jersey politics works and it is only in New Jersey.

>> The only thing better than that is if he would get a pension from retiring from that job.

>> He doesn't need one.

He has made quite a lot of money these 30 years.

>> Brent, what have you got?

>> There is a new poll out Friday morning that says, 80% of New Jerseyans believe that politicians in Jersey are corrupt, which goes along with the age-old thought that politics in New Jersey.

Only in Illinois, could they talk us.

I want to give best wishes to my father who is giving -- going through a medical issue.

I wanted to wish him the best of luck.

He has been my hero since he was a child -- since I was a child.

>> Mind comes from Florida by way of Puerto Rico and New Jersey, a story of a woman who raised 12 children.

The 12 one, adopted.

She raised him on her own, all successful.

Seven college grads, teachers, nurses, PR and marketing pros, politicians, firefighters, salesman, roofers, artists, and even journalists.

Isabel Cruz, she is 92 years old.

In this country, one in four kids under 18 lives in a single-parent household.

80% of those single-parent households are headed by moms.

If you think that is just a lifestyle choice, I dare you to try it, once, let alone 12 times.

Happy Mother's Day, mom.

I am proud of you.

That is roundtable for this week .

Good to see you all.

Thanks also to Stephen Holden for joining us.

You can follow the show on twitter.

Get the latest news and other fresh content, every day when you subscribe to YouTube channel.

I'm David Cruz, from all the crew at Gateway Center in downtown Newark, thanks for watching.

We'll see you next week.

>> Major funding for reporters roundtable is provided by our WJ Barnabas health, let's be healthy together.

I'm JM insurance group serving the insurance needs of New Jersey residents and businesses for more than 100 years.

Promotional support provided by New Jersey business magazine, the magazine of the New Jersey business Association Orting to executive and legislative leaders in all counties in the Garden State since 1954.

And by politicos New Jersey playbook, a topical newsletter on Garden State politics.

♪