News & Events
REPUBLICANS
CALL OUT GANZ FOR BEING HYPOCRITE ON PAY TO PLAY REFORM
Record Calls Ganz’s Reforms “Toothless”
Hackensack, NJ – July 8,
2011 – Bergen County Democratic
Freeholder David Ganz has gone from beneficiary of one of the most
notorious political fundraising machines in New Jersey history to
hypocrite, say Republican freeholder candidates Joel Brizzi and Anthony
Rottino.
Ganz, a three term freeholder seeking another three years on the
freeholder board, yesterday criticized the new Republican freeholder
majority for failing to act quickly enough to pass stringent campaign
finance laws, even though he failed in 9 years on the freeholder
board to make any change whatsoever to the county’s flawed campaign
finance regulations.
“David Ganz benefitted immensely from the political fundraising system
run by Democratic Party boss Joe Ferriero. He used hundreds of thousands
of dollars in campaign donations every year he ran and never once
uttered a word about reform or questioned where the money came from,”
said GOP candidate Joel Brizzi.
“Now because Mr. Ferriero has been dismissed from the Democratic Party
and the Democrats are in the minority and Freeholder Ganz’s fundraising
ability is limited, Mr. Ganz suddenly wants others to change the system
he created and benefitted from,” added Brizzi, an East Rutherford
councilman
Rottino pointed out that Ganz admits in his official biography that he
created the flawed campaign finance reporting system that Republicans
said they will change.
“Mr. Ganz takes credit for writing the so called ethics law requiring
disclosure of campaign contribution to county elected officials by
prospective county vendors,” said Rottino.
“But what Mr. Ganz refuses to admit is that the system he created
included a giant loophole that allowed Democrats who controlled county
government, to take large donations from vendors who donated to the
county party and to Democrat political action committees without
reporting those donations,” added Rottino.
The Record newspaper in a June 18, 2004 editorial criticized
Ganz’s faux reform saying the Democrat controlled freeholder board:
“adopted a campaign contribution disclosure measure that’s as
toothless as an earthworm.”
Former freeholder, now county clerk Elizabeth “Lisa” Randall attempted
in January 2004 to close the disclosure loophole by requiring county
vendors to report all campaign donations – not just donations to elected
officials – but to the county Democratic and Republican organization and
all PAC’s active in the county.
“Freeholder Ganz and the Democrats created a cynical system that they
knew would shield the overwhelming bulk of their contributions since
most donations to Democrats during the Ferriero years went, not to
individual elected officials, but to party PACs controlled by
Democratic Chairman Joe Ferriero,” said Randall.
In a June 26, 2004 Record editorial the paper credited Randall
for trying to create greater campaign transparency, saying: “Republican
Freeholder Elizabeth Randall attempted to broaden the pay to play reform
regulations) but guess what, her attempt was blocked by the Democrats.”
Ganz was a member of the freeholder board at that time and failed to
support Randall’s measures. As a former mayor of Fair Lawn, Ganz also
failed to support pay-to-play reform in his home town.
Brizzi and Rottino said they still support Randall’s attempts to broaden
campaign disclosure and believe that full disclosure serves the purposes
of reform.
“The issue is about transparency,” said Brizzi. “Freeholder Ganz
created and supported a system of campaign finance disclosure that was
not honest and far from transparent.”
Rottino said every county vendor should disclose not only the county
elected officials they support but how much they donate to the county
party’s which raise the bulk of the money for most county campaigns.
“The issue should not be about limiting the fundraising ability of
candidates, but about being honest and open with the voters about who is
helping to finance their campaigns,” said Rottino.
Rottino also said he supports using the internet to report campaign
donations faster and more easily.
“If voters have easier access to campaign finance information they can
use it to make decisions about who they will support,” said Rottino.
“I cannot and
will not be bought for a campaign donation and neither will my
runningmate,” said Rottino. “We will hire the best people at the best
price to do the jobs that need to be done.”
