The N.J. Election Law Enforcement CommissionHerrmann has also appeared as a campaign financing and lobbying law expert on radio and television. Currently, he is the book review editor

The N.J. Election Law Enforcement Commission

May, 2001

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EnforcementCommission

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Commission’s Office

New Jersey Election Law Enforcement Commission28 West State Street, 13th Floor

Trenton, New Jersey

(609) 292-8700

The Election Law Enforcement Commission is dedicated to administering “The New Jersey CampaignContributions and Expenditures Reporting Act,” “The Gubernatorial, Legislative Disclosure Statement Act,” variousportions of the “Legislative Activities Disclosure Act,” and various portions of the “Uniform Recall Election Law.”

L

WELCOME TO E EC

Clockwise: Chair Ralph V. Martin, Vice Chair Paula A. Franzese, Executive DirectorFrederick M. Herrmann, Deputy Director Jeffrey M. Brindle, Legal Director Gregory E.

Nagy, Deputy Legal Director Nedda Gold Massar, Counsel James P. Wyse, CommissionerSusan S. Lederman, and Commissioner Lynnan B. Ware.

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Page

The Commission..................................................................................................................................... 1

Chair’s Message ...................................................................................................................................... 7

Commission Staff.................................................................................................................................... 9

Table of Organization............................................................................................................................ 10

Executive Director’s Remarks .............................................................................................................. 11

ELEC Overview.................................................................................................................................... 13

Statutory History of ELEC.................................................................................................................... 14

Legislative Review and Recommendations .......................................................................................... 15

Legal Section......................................................................................................................................... 17

Compliance and Information Section.................................................................................................... 19

Review and Investigation Section......................................................................................................... 21

Gubernatorial Public Financing Section............................................................................................... 23

Systems Administration Section........................................................................................................... 25

ELEC’s Home Page .............................................................................................................................. 27

ELEC ONLINE..................................................................................................................................... 28

Administration Section.......................................................................................................................... 29

ELEC Over the Years............................................................................................................................ 32

TABLE OF CONTENTS

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By visiting our offices located at:New Jersey Election Law Enforcement Commission28 West State StreetTrenton, NJ

By mail at:New Jersey Election Law Enforcement CommissionP.O. Box 185Trenton, NJ 08625-0185

By telephone at: By Fax at:(609) 292-8700 48-hour notice: 292-7662

Requests: 292-7664Administration: 777-1448Legal: 777-1457

Via the Internet at:http://www.elec.state.nj.us/

HOW TO CONTACT ELEC

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Ralph V. MartinChair

Ralph V. Martin, Chair

Ralph V. Martin, retired Superior Court Judge

serving Passaic County, and now a practicing attorney in

Wayne, New Jersey, was appointed to fill an unexpired

term on the Commission in December, 1995, and was

appointed Chair in February, 1996. He is serving his third

term on the Commission.

While a Superior Court Judge, the Chair was

involved in all divisions of the Court, with most of his

service occurring in the Civil Division.

A graduate of Rutgers University with a B.S. and

M.S., Judge Martin earned his J.D. from Rutgers

University. He was subsequently admitted to the New

Jersey and U.S. District Court and the U.S. Supreme

Court.

The Chair is a member of the Passaic County

and State of New Jersey Bar Associations. He has a legal

interest in complex litigation and media delivery issues.

Judge Martin chaired the Supreme Court Media

Committee for an extensive period of time.

A veteran of the U.S. Army, he served as a

Nuclear Guided Missile Officer from 1951-1955 (14th

Ordnance Battalion). The Chair is married to the former

Ida K. Kuiphoff. They have four sons.

THE COMMISSION

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2000 Annual Report2

Paula A. Franzese, Vice Chair

Paula A. Franzese is serving her second term on

the Commission. Appointed in 1996, Commissioner

Franzese is a Professor of Law at the Seton Hall

University School of Law, and has taught at Columbia

University, Fordham University and the University of

Parma, Italy.

A lecturer nationally as well as a commentator

on Court T.V., Vice Chair Franzese serves as President of

the Justice Resource Center Board of Directors in New

York City.

A graduate of the Columbia University School of

Law and Barnard College, Columbia University, Vice

Chair Franzese is a member of the New Jersey and New

York bars and is admitted to practice in the U.S. District

Courts for the Southern and Eastern Districts of New

York and the District of New Jersey.

Vice Chair Franzese is the Founder of the New

Jersey Mentor Program, which pairs inner-city high

schools with law firms, public sector law offices, and

Seton Hall Law School. Existing since 1987, Mentor

provides inner-city youth with the opportunity to

participate in the legal system and with access to role

models within the profession.

A recipient of numerous awards and honors,

including being named Professor of the Year for an

unprecedented five times, Woman of the Year by the

Center for Italian Culture, Woman of the Year by the

Essex County Board of Freeholders, and Exemplary

Teacher by the American Association of Higher

Education; Vice Chair Franzese is the author of two

books as well as numerous publications and papers. She

is married to Michael R. Rosella. The couple has two

children.

Paula. A. FranzeseVice Chair

THE COMMISSION continued

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Lynnan B. Ware, Commissioner

Lynnan B. Ware, Commissioner

Lynnan B. Ware, appointed in 1997 to theCommission, is a principal ofWare Associates, a commercialreal estate firm formed in 1975to provide financing, sales, andconsulting services for privateand institutional clients. Thefirm’s major projects haveincluded suburban office parksand urban office towers,shopping centers, apartmentcomplexes, hotels and multi-useproperties, ranging in valuefrom $3 million to $100 million.She was previously vicepresident of the advisor to arealty trust, responsible forinvestor relations, humanresources, and administrativemanagement.

Heavily involved in civicand professional service for more than 25 years, Mrs.Ware recently was named Citizen of the Year 2001 bythe Moorestown Service Clubs Council. She was amember of the Rotary Club of Moorestown for 11 years,chairing numerous committees including Finance, andserving as treasurer and director from 1993-2000.

The Commissioner was also active in RotaryDistrict 7500, and served as Assistant Governor in 1997-98. She was awarded the “Archie” for outstandingleadership in the four-county, 43-club district.

Her extensive community work has includedchairing the township Zoning Board (five years totalservice) and several years on the Planning Board. AGovernor Kean appointee, she was a member of the SouthJersey Transit Advisory Board from 1985-92. For 12years, she managed and edited the MoorestownCommunity Calendar (a major resource guide detailingtown government and services, churches, volunteer

groups, etc., as well as official and other events andmeetings) that is mailed without charge to 8,500 homesand businesses annually.

The Commissioner is afounding trustee and president ofCommunity Link of Moorestown, a501 (c)(3) corporation that helpsprovide drug-and-alcohol-freeactivities for local teens, and assistsother nonprofits with funding andgenerating volunteer-participation.Link’s most recent project wasobtaining and refurbishing two busses,enabling the Recreation Department toprovide day trips that can be enjoyedby less-advantaged or at-risk townshipyoung people.

Mrs. Ware was a member ofthe Republican State Committee,president of the Burlington County

Republican Women and of theMoorestown Republican Club, and served

on the Republican Municipal Committee. She heldnumerous campaign posts including coordinator ofvolunteers for a state legislative race as well as treasurerof various municipal and continuing political committees.

Commissioner Ware has served in leadershippositions with several national organizations, includingthe National Association of Real Estate Investment Trustsand the American Institute of Banking. She chaired aNAREIT committee that published the Sourcebook forShareholder Relations___used industry-wide by trustofficials. She is licensed as a New Jersey real estatesalesperson and previously held an NASD Series7__General Securities license.

Commissioner Ware is married to Ridgeley P.Ware. They have lived in Moorestown since 1971, andhave three sons and six grandchildren.


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Susan S. Lederman, Ph.D., Commissioner

Susan S. Lederman, appointed to the Commission in2000, is a Professor of Public Administration at KeanUniversity and Director of the Community Outreach

Partnership Center, Gateway Institute. She was thefounding Executive Director of the Gateway Institute forRegional Development and has served as Director ofKean’s Master of Public Administration Program. Shehas been on the faculty at the University since 1977.

Commissioner Lederman is also a past presidentof the League of Women Voters of the United States(1990-1992) and served as the president of the NewJersey League of Women Voters from 1985 to 1989. Shechaired the Local Government Expenditure and FinanceTask Force of the New Jersey State and LocalExpenditure and Revenue Policy Commission from 1985to 1988 and also was a member of the Local ExpenditureLimitations Technical Review Commission.

Dr. Lederman holds leadership positions invarious civic organizations, notably, on the executivecommittee of New Jersey Future, on the executivecommittee of the Regional Plan Association, and assecretary-treasurer of the Jefferson Center, a Minnesotabased political research, education, and reformorganization. She was an elected member of the CommonCause National Governing Association (1994-2000). In1998, the Commissioner also served on GovernorChristine Todd Whitman’s Property Tax Commission.She is co-author of the book, Elections in America:Control and Influence in Democratic Politics.Commissioner Lederman also served on the SupremeCourt of New Jersey Disciplinary Oversight Committeeas a public member and on the Board of Directors of thePublic Education Institute. She is a former president ofthe Northeastern Political Science Association and hasalso served as a director of the Alliance for HealthReform; on the Council on New Jersey Affairs, PrincetonUniversity; and on other boards and commissions.

Commissioner Lederman holds an A.B. degreein Political Science from the University of Michigan andan M.A. and Ph.D. in Political Science from Rutgers, theState University of New Jersey. She was born inBratislava, Slovakia, and immigrated with her family tothe United States in 1948. Her husband, Peter, and shereside in New Providence, New Jersey, and have twogrown children, Stuart, of Madison, New Jersey andEllen, of Wyssington-near-Nayland in the UnitedKingdom.


Susan Lederman, Commissioner

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Frederick M. Herrmann, Ph.D.,Executive Director

Frederick M. Herrmann has been the executivedirector of the New Jersey Election Law Enforcement

Commission for seventeen years. He received an A.B.(1969) from the University of Pennsylvania and an M.A.(1970) and a Ph.D. (1976) from Rutgers, The StateUniversity of New Jersey. Dr. Herrmann is also an honorgraduate of the United States Army Quartermaster Schoolat Fort Lee, Virginia.

The author of many publications about historyand government, he is a frequent speaker at variousforums inside and outside of New Jersey. Dr. Herrmannhas also appeared as a campaign financing and lobbyinglaw expert on radio and television. Currently, he is thebook review editor of the Guardian and on the editorialboard of Public Integrity. He is also on the Board ofTrustees for the Friends of the State House.

Once a teacher at Rutgers and Kean Universitiesas well as a staff member of the New Jersey Legislature,he has also served on the Organizational Planning andCoordinating Committee of the Council of StateGovernments and has been the President of the Councilon Governmental Ethics Laws, an internationalorganization, and the Chairperson of the NortheasternRegional Conference on Lobbying.

In 1993, he was the recipient of the AnnualAward of the Council on Governmental Ethics Laws forhis continued efforts to promote the highest level ofethical conduct among governmental officials andcandidates for public office in the international arena. Hehas met often with dignitaries from various jurisdictionsthroughout the world to assist in the developing anddrafting of statutes and regulations.


Frederick M. Herrmann, Executive Director

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James P. Wyse, Counsel

James P. Wyse was selected to be theCommission’s Counsel in 1994 and began serving in thatcapacity in January, 1995.

Mr. Wyse is an attorney based in Morristownwho specializes in the areas of corporate and commerciallaw, real estate, environmental law, and estate planning.

Mr. Wyse, admitted to practice in New Jerseyand before the United States Court of Appeals for theThird Circuit, has argued cases in that Court and beforethe New Jersey Supreme Court.

As Counsel for a number of national, State, andlocal land trust organizations, Mr. Wyse has developedspecial expertise regarding conservation and agriculturaleasements and innovative land preservation techniques.

Mr. Wyse received a B.A. degree from BucknellUniversity and J.D. degree with honors from the RutgersUniversity School of Law.

Appointed General Counsel to the New JerseyConservation Foundation, he also advises the JuniorLeague of Morristown, the Morris Shelter, Inc., and theDeirdre O’Brien Child Advocacy Center. Married toPamela Paxton, he serves on the Board of Trustees of theMorris Land Conservancy.


James P. Wyse, Counsel

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Ralph V. Martin, Chair

As Chair of the New Jersey Election LawEnforcement Commission, I am honored to present thisreport to the members of theLegislature. During the pastyear, the Commission builtupon its highly toutedcomputer initiative, whichbrings up-to-date campaignfinancial information into thehomes, community libraries,and offices of millions ofNew Jersey residents.

Through the Internet,citizens can access full andcomplete reports of allcandidates and politicalentities that file with theCommission. Moreover, they can undertake extensivecontributor searches vis-à-vis the contributions made tolegislative candidates. Provided adequate resources aremade available, the Commission plans to expand thissearchable data base to include local candidates andpolitical entities.

Building upon an already outstanding record inthe area of automation is not an easy task. But theCommission was able to do just that in 2000. Whileperfecting electronic filing software for use bygubernatorial candidates in the upcoming primary andgeneral elections, the Commission is expanding upon itslegislative electronic filing pilot project by making thissoftware available to all legislative candidates in the 2001general election. The option to file electronically willsoon be available to all New Jersey candidates andpolitical entities.

The Commission is understandably proud of itsautomation and Internet disclosure system, which isconsidered the best in the nation by many.

In my 1998 message, I stated “though the stridesmade toward automation promise changes in ELEC’s

operating procedure, one thing that will notchange is the Commission’s commitment toa high standard of personal service.” TheCommission has fulfilled this promise.

For example, anyone phoning theCommission is first greeted by courteousand friendly receptionists who personallydirect calls to the appropriate section. Noone need concern themselves with listeningto a series of prompts to finally select theright one for their needs. Once the call isdirected by ELEC’s receptionist, citizenscan expect to receive answers to theirquestions either immediately or very

promptly. Though unusual in this high techage, the Commission believes that this service sets theproper tone for the agency.

Consistent with the Commission’s policy offulfilling its mission of disclosure in an efficient way witha personal touch, the Compliance Section continued toassist the public and the press and to pursue an aggressivepublic education program. In 2000, the staff personallyhelped many citizens and reporters, as well as providedassistance to treasurers, candidates, and lobbyists throughworkshops and outreach efforts.

The Compliance Section did its usual stellar jobin scanning and processing approximately 23,000 reportsand in responding to requests for copies of the reports tothe tune of 119,000 copies. As predicted, however, thenumber of requests for copying declined from past yearsdue to the increased use of the Internet by the public. Allin all, the efforts of the Compliance Section resulted in acompliance rate of over 90 percent in 2000.

Throughout the nation, the Commission isknown for its ongoing efforts in terms of analyzing trends

MESSAGE FROM THE CHAIR

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in campaign financing and lobbying activity. Again lastyear, the Commission produced analytical data vis-à-visthe financial activity of candidates, political parties, andlobbyists. This information is accessible via the Internet.Moreover, White Paper Number 14, Local CampaignFinancing, written by Deputy Director Jeffrey M. Brindle,was published last year.

As is customary, the Commission effectivelyenforced the campaign financing and lobbying laws in2000. Several major cases were adjudicated andcomplaints issued. The Legal Section was also busyresearching and drafting advisory opinions and proposedregulatory guidelines.

The Review and Investigation Section, for itspart, closed 45 investigations that resulted in penaltyactions. The outcome of these penalty actions was theimposition of several significant fines.

True to form, the Commission’s well-establishedand highly respected Executive Director, Frederick M.Herrmann, Ph.D., continued to serve the cause of ethicalgovernment in New Jersey with the sincerity of purposethat has become his trademark. Because of his vision anddedication, the Commission is a leader among nationalethics agencies in terms of facilitating disclosure throughtechnology. This fact was recognized by the PublicEmployees Roundtable in issuing to the Commission acertificate of appreciation for its computer initiative.

As in the past, Executive Director Herrmanncontinued to: speak to groups across New Jersey, serve onthe Editorial Board of Public Integrity, be book revieweditor of the Guardian (the quarterly publication of theCouncil on Governmental Ethics Laws), and participate inthe Northeastern Regional Conference on Lobbying.Moreover this year, the Executive Director initiated andedited an important series of articles on ethics agenciespublished in two consecutive issues of Public Integrity.He has continued to exhibit tremendous zeal for

improving the Commission and maintaining its positionamong the best ethics agencies in the nation.

The Commission would like to extend itsheartfelt thanks to former Commissioner David Linnet,who left the Commission in 2000, for his many years ofservice to ELEC.

On behalf of the Commission, I would like tothank Administrative Assistant Elbia Zeppetelli for herdesktop publishing assistance and Assistant SystemsAdministrator Brian Robbins for the photography.

The Commission is again proud of its record ofachievement, and I am delighted to highlight theseaccomplishments in this Annual Report.

Cordially,

Ralph V. MartinChair

MESSAGE FROM THE CHAIR continued

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Executive

Frederick M. Herrmann, Ph.D., Executive DirectorJeffrey M. Brindle, M.A., Deputy DirectorGregory E. Nagy, Esq., Legal DirectorElbia L. Zeppetelli, Administrative AssistantSteven Kimmelman, M.A., Research Associate

Administration

Barbra A. Fasanella, DirectorDonna D. Margetts, M.A. Personnel OfficerElaine J. Salit, Fiscal OfficerDebra A. Kostival, Principal ReceptionistIrene Comiso, Senior Receptionist

Compliance and Information

Evelyn Ford, Esq., DirectorLinda White, Associate DirectorKimberly Key, Associate Compliance OfficerChristopher Guear, M.A., Assistant Compliance OfficerRobyn Rich, Assistant Compliance OfficerTitus Kamal, Assistant Compliance OfficerDesiree DeVito, Public Room AssistantMonica Triplin-Nelson, ClerkElizabeth A. Michael, ClerkMaria Concepcion, ClerkSamira Wood, ClerkJoseph Sargenti, Messenger

Legal

Nedda Gold Massar, Esq., Deputy Legal Director*Gail Shanker, Esq., Associate Legal DirectorMaria Novas-Ruiz, Esq., Assistant Legal DirectorRuth Ford, Legal Secretary

Systems Administration

Carolyn Neiman, DirectorKim Vandegrift, Assistant Systems AdministratorAnthony Giancarli, Assistant Systems AdministratorBrian Robbins, Assistant Systems DeveloperPeter Palaitis, Help Desk TechnicianBrenda A. Brickhouse, Data Entry SupervisorShirley R. Bryant, Senior Data Entry TechnicianNelly R. Rosario, Associate Data Entry TechnicianBarbara Counts, Associate Data Entry TechnicianPamela Kinsey, Associate Data Entry TechnicianDarlene Kozlowski, Associate Data Entry TechnicianHelen Kelly, Associate Data Entry Technician

Review and Investigation

Carol Hoekje, Esq., DirectorShreve E. Marshall, Jr., Associate DirectorBrett Mead, Associate Review OfficerAmy Davis, Assistant Review OfficerRenee Cardelucci, Legal Secretary

Public Financing

Nedda Gold Massar, Esq., Director*Louis Solimeo, Computer SpecialistHelen Staton, AnalystMitali Dutta, AnalystRahsan Canturk, AnalystLauren Yarosheski, AnalystTamika Kinsey, Data Entry Technician

*Serves in both positions

COMMISSION STAFF

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TABLE OF ORGANIZATION

COMMISSION COUNSEL

EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR 1

ADMINISTRATIVEASSISTANT

1

DEPUTY DIRECTOR 1

LEGAL DIRECTOR 1

DIRECTOR OFADMINISTRATION

5

DIRECTOR OFCOMPLIANCE AND

INFORMATION 12

DIRECTOR OF PUBLICFINANCING

6

DIRECTOR OF REVIEWAND INVESTIGATION

5

DIRECTOR OF SYSTEMSADMINISTRATION

12

LEGAL 4

Fiscal & management ServicesBudgetPersonnelPurchasingPayrollReception

Program analysisRecords retentionPublic educationPublic disclosure reports

Technical assistanceReport analysisPublic disclosure reports

Report reviewDesk auditsField investigationsComplaint recommendations

Data entryStatistical reportsComputer operation & maintenance

LitigationFinal DecisionsEnforcementAdvisory OpinionsRegulations

RESEARCH ASSOCIATE 1

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Frederick M. Herrmann, Executive Director

In the Winter, 2001 edition of Public Integrity,Craig B. Holman and Robert M. Stern write in theirarticle “Access Delayedis Access Denied:Electronic Reporting ofCampaign FinanceActivity” that “thecommunicationsrevolution and thedevelopment of theInternet is having aprofound impact on thenature of politics,especially the rapidityand convenience ofdisclosing the flow ofcampaign money to thepublic.” They point outthat the electronicreporting of campaignfinance records “hascome a long way in just afew short years.” Indeed, less than half-a-decade ago,Elizabeth Hedlund and Lisa Rosenberg could write inPlugging in the Public: A Model for Campaign FinanceDisclosure that “there are agencies today whosedisclosure operation is no more than several filingcabinets and a table.” Campaign fundraising activity wasterribly obscured by a jumble of data in paper reports thatcould be hundreds of pages long. Following the moneywithout modern technology was a daunting task for themedia, good government groups, and even the regulatoryagencies themselves.

Fortunately, today, as Holman and Sterndocument, “in more and more jurisdictions, computertechnology and the Internet have been providing electionofficials and, more importantly, the public with an almostinstantaneous means to monitor the flow of money inpolitics.” The best disclosure systems as the authorsdemonstrate are “easily accessible from any house

computer, and the data may be instantly searched, sorted,or downloaded.” Among the jurisdictions cited in their

article as examples ofhaving closely metthese criteria forexcellence is NewJersey. The ElectionLaw EnforcementCommission (ELEC)with the vital support ofthe administration andboth parties in theLegislature was able toachieve such adistinction through thehard work anddedication of ELEC’soutstanding staff.Within a remarkablyshort period of timefrom GovernorChristine Todd

Whitman’s announcement in her 1998 budget messagethat campaign contribution reports would be available onthe Internet, ELEC went on-line with its web site inOctober, 1999. Not only did it provide all of thefunctions that Holman and Stern deemed essential forpeak performance, it also offered according to the authors“one other feature that many other disclosure systemshave thus far overlooked: a summary description offinancial activity.”

More specifically, electronic disclosure on theCommission’s web site (www.elec.state.nj.us/) includesfour major elements:

• Viewable campaign financing disclosure reports fromMay, 1999, forward for gubernatorial, legislative,county, local, and school board elections;

EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR’S REMARKS

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• A search and sort mechanism for finding contributorsto gubernatorial and legislative candidates as well aspolitical party committees and legislative leadershipcommittees;

• A downloadable database so that citizens mayarrange contributor data in a variety of formats; and,

• Electronically filed reports (available in spring, 2001,for gubernatorial candidates and fall, 2001, forlegislative candidates).

A major goal for ELEC was to make its systemuser friendly so that any citizen could use it withcomparative ease. The start page gives the user clearlyformatted choices of information including: filingrequirements, forms and instructions, reporting dates, acontribution limits chart, a report viewer, a contributorsearch mechanism, statistical summaries, publications andnews releases, advisory opinions, complaints and finaldecisions, regulations, and links to related sites. TheCommission believes that creating an easily accessibleweb site was only half of its task in serving the public, themedia, and other users — the other half was a supportnetwork. Consequently, visitors to the site may callELEC’s help-desk workers during Commission officehours for assistance in obtaining information or using it.Moreover, citizens can e-mail the Commission staff atany time of day or night to report web site problems orprovide web site feedback.

In May, 2000, ELEC’s computer projectinitiative received national recognition. The PublicEmployees Roundtable as part of its Public ServiceExcellence Awards Program presented the Commissionwith a prestigious Certificate of Appreciation. But ELECdoes not intend to rest on its laurels. The Commissionplans to expand its efforts to provide increasingly moredata to the public and expand the number of candidatesand entities filing electronically. ELEC views itscomputer project as work in progress that will continue to

be improved, upgraded, and enhanced. The Commissionhas aptly placed an 1822 comment by James Madison onits start page — “And a people who mean to be their owngovernors, must arm themselves with the power thatknowledge brings.” Using modern, computer technologyfor disclosing campaign finance information is anessential tool in providing the public education that iscrucial to the preservation of democratic government inour state and nation.

EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR’S REMARKS continued

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1973Frank P. Reiche, ChairJudge Sidney Goldmann, Vice ChairJudge Bartholomew Sheehan, CommissionerFlorence P. Dwyer, Commissioner

1974-1979Frank P. Reiche, ChairJudge Sidney Goldmann, Vice ChairJosephine Margetts, CommissionerArchibald S. Alexander, Commissioner

1980-1981Judge Sidney Goldmann, ChairJosephine Margetts, Vice ChairAndrew C. Axtell, CommissionerM. Robert DeCotiis, Commissioner

1982-1983Andrew C. Axtell, ChairM. Robert DeCotiis, Vice ChairJustice Haydn Proctor, CommissionerAlexander P. Waugh, Jr., Commissioner

1984-1986Andrew C. Axtell, ChairAlexander P. Waugh, Jr., Vice ChairJustice Haydn Proctor, CommissionerOwen V. McNanny III, Commissioner

1987-1988Judge Stanley G. Bedford, ChairOwen V. McNanny, III, Vice ChairAndrew C. Axtell, CommissionerDavid Linett, Commissioner

1989-1990Judge Stanley G. Bedford, ChairOwen V. McNany, III, Vice ChairDavid Linett, CommissionerS. Elliott Mayo, Commissioner

1991-1992Owen V. McNany, III, ChairJudge Stanley G. Bedford, CommissionerDavid Linett, Commissioner

1993-1994Owen V. McNany, III, ChairWilliam H. Eldridge, Vice ChairDavid Linett, Commissioner

1995William H. Eldridge, ChairOwen V. McNany, III, Vice ChairDavid Linett, CommissionerMichael Chertoff, Commissioner

1996Judge Ralph V. Martin, ChairDavid Linett, Vice ChairPaula A. Franzese, Commissioner

1997-2000Judge Ralph V. Martin, ChairDavid Linett, Vice ChairPaula A. Franzese, CommissionerLynnan B. Ware, Commissioner

2000Judge Ralph V. Martin, ChairPaula A. Franzese, Vice ChairLynnan B. Ware, CommissionerSusan S. Lederman, Commissioner

EXECUTIVE DIRECTORS

1973-1976 David F. Norcross1976-1981 Lewis B. Thurston, III1981-1984 Scott A. Weiner1984-present Frederick M. Herrmann

COUNSELS

1973-1994 Edward J. Farrell1994-present James P. Wyse

CONSULTANT

1973-1978, Herbert E. Alexander1982,1986-1988

ELEC OVERVIEW

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• Commission created by P.L. 1973, c.83 (N.J.S.A.19:44A-1 et seq.) -"The New Jersey CampaignContributions and Expenditures Reporting Act" -effective date: April 24, 1973.

• Gubernatorial Public Financing Programestablished by P.L. 1974, c.26 (N.J.S.A. 19:44A-27et seq.) - effective date: May 6, 1974.

• Personal Financial Disclosure Program establishedby P.L. 1981, c.129 (N.J.S.A. 19:44B-1 et seq.) -effective date: May 1, 1981.

• Lobbying Program established by P.L. 1981, c.150(N.J.S.A. 52:13C-18 et seq.) - effective date: May22, 1981.

• Continuing Political Committee (PACs) QuarterlyReporting established by P.L. 1983, c.579(amendments to N.J.S.A. 19:44A-1 et seq.) -effective date: January 17, 1984.

• Lobbying Reform established by P.L. 1991, c.243(amendments to N.J.S.A. 52:13C-18 et seq.) -effective date: January 1, 1992.

• Campaign Finance Reform established by P.L.1993, c.65 (amendments to N.J.S.A. 19:44A-1 etseq.) - effective date: April 7, 1993.

• Street Money Reform Law established by P.L. 1993,c.370, (codified as N.J.S.A. 19:44A-11.7) - effectivedate: January 7, 1994.

• Uniform Recall Election Law established by P.L.1995, c. 105, (codified as N.J.S.A. 19:27A-1 et seq.) -effective date: May 17, 1995.

• Political Identification Law established by P.L.1995, c. 391, (codified as N.J.S.A. 19:44A-22.2 and22.3) - effective date: February 1, 1996.

STATUTORY HISTORY OF ELEC

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Using electronic on-line legislative databases,the Legal Section reviews and monitors bills that wouldhave a direct impact on the work of the Commission. TheCommission offers testimony and technical assistance tolegis ative committees considering such legislation.During 2000, the first year of the 210th Legislature, 45such bills were monitored.

During 2000, Governor Christine Todd Whitmansigned a new law requiring gubernatorial candidates, as acondition of receipt of public matching funds, to disclosethe financial activity of any issue advocacy organizationsin which they have been involved.

Several other bills involving the gubernatorialpublic financing program were introduced in 2000 butwere not enacted into law. These bills would excludefrom match any out-of-state contributions or anycontributions that were not disclosed to the public. Theywould increase the number of debates required of apublicly financed candidate, increase the gubernatorialincome tax check-off from $1 to $3, and require that the

check-off amount be adjusted for inflation every fouryears.

Another important bill would extend lobbyingdisclosure requirements to entities engaged in“grassroots” lobbying. Finally, one significant piece oflegislation would change the deadline for gubernatorialand legislative candidates to file personal financialdisclosure statements which would give the Commissionadditional time needed to distribute forms and instructionsto candidates, and would give candidates more time tocomplete the forms.

Legislative Recommendations

The Commission offers the followingrecommendations for legislative change:

Campaign Reporting Act

• Reduce the annual contribution limit to Statepolitical party committees, legislativeleadership committees, and county politicalparty committees from $37,000 to $15,000.

• Lengthen Commissioner terms to six yearsfrom three years; require that upon theexpiration of a Commissioner’s term, areplacement be nominated within 90 days orthe Commissioner serving in holdover statusshall automatically retain the position foranother term; and select the Commission Chairfor a fixed term.

• Include in the definition of “candidate” allappointees to fill vacancies for elected offices.

• Prohibit a political committee or continuingpolitical committee from containing in itsname a candidate or officeholder.

LEGISLATIVE REVIEW AND RECOMMENDATIONS

Jeffrey M. Brindle, Deputy Director

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• Raise the penalties applicable to gubernatorialpublic financing statutes to equal thoseapplicable to campaign reporting violations.

• Create a public financing program forlegislative elections.

• Prohibit contributions made directly fromcorporations and labor unions.

• Amend the Campaign Reporting Act toconform to recent amendments to the PenaltyEnforcement Law.

• Double the Commission’s operational budgetto support better educational and enforcementactivities at the local level.

Lobbying Disclosure Act

• Require reporting of “grassroots” or“astroturf” lobbying.

• Cap at $250 the aggregate value of benefits ina calendar year that a legislative agent maypass to a legislator or State official forlobbying purposes.

• Require lobbyists to file quarterly rather thanannual reports.

• Change the terminology of the lobbying law sothat an organization or business that employsan individual to conduct lobbying activity onits behalf is referred to as a “representedgroup,” and the individual conducting thelobbying activity is referred to as a “lobbyist.”

• Conform the penalty provisions of theLobbying Disclosure Act to those of theCampaign Reporting Act.

Gubernatorial Public Financing

• Eliminate the $260,000 gubernatorial spendingqualification threshold to remove aburdensome requirement on candidates and toreduce governmental interference in campaignspending decisions.

• Require that publicly financed gubernatorialcandidates participate in three debates.

• Change the earliest dates for gubernatorialprimary and general election debates toprovide more time to resolve qualificationissues.

• Require disclosure of occupation andemployer information for contributions fromindividuals in excess of the $400 disclosurethreshold on reports filed by an Inauguralevent committee.

• Study the effectiveness of the gubernatorialcandidates’ ballot statement program todetermine if there are more effective and lesscostly ways of allowing candidates tocommunicate their views to the public.

Personal Financial Disclosure Act

• Provide for uniform disclosure of gifts,reimbursements, and honoraria of over $250 ina calendar year and require disclosure of theirvalue and a description of the article if otherthan cash.

• Require reporting of the occupation andemployer of individuals providing reportablebenefits.

LEGISLATIVE REVIEW AND RECOMMENDATIONS continued

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The Commission’s Legal Section had a busyyear in 2000 on several fronts. The principalresponsibility of the Section is to prepare and prosecutecivil complaints vis-à-vis violations of the CampaignContributions and Expenditures Reporting Act, theLobbying Disclosure Act, the Personal FinancialDisclosure Act,and the UniformRecall ElectionLaw. In tandemwith theseprosecutorialefforts, theCommissionbegan postingon the Internetthe full text ofall Complaintsand FinalDecisions,providing fullpublic access toits enforcementactivities.These enforcement activities are designed to achievecomplete and accurate campaign disclosure as well as toimpose sufficient civil penalties to discourage futureviolations.

Civil Complaints

Beginning with an inventory of 86 Complaintcases open at the end of 1999, the Legal Section issued112 new complaints during 2000 and closed 102 casesduring the year, leaving a total of 96 cases open as of thebeginning of 2001. Monetary penalties collected during2000 totaled $92,733, a figure that was almost identicalwith the $94,094 in 1999.

The majority of Commission complaints areissued against candidates who do not file any reports after

being notified by the Commission. In this category were91 complaints against candidates whom the Commissiondetermined had not filed any campaign reports. Theyincluded 36 cases in the 1999 general election, seven inthe 2000 municipal election, and 48 in the 2000 primaryelection. These are relatively small numbers considering

that in 2000 more than 5,000 candidates filed reports withthe Commission.

In addition to nonfiler complaints, 21 of the 112new complaints issued in 2000 were the result of in-depthinvestigations conducted by the Review and InvestigationSection and involved more complex violations. Amongthe most important of these complaints were thoseinvolving inadequate reporting of contributor informationprior to an election.

At the conclusion of each case, the Commissionissues a Final Decision that sets forth findings of fact andconclusions of law specifying the violations found. FinalDecisions issued in 2000 included cases involvingviolations by candidates and committees in elections from1995 through 1999 and in reports required to be filed by

LEGAL SECTION

From left to right: Gregory Nagy, Nedda Massar, Gail Shanker, Ruth Ford, and Maria Novas-Ruiz

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political party committees and continuing politicalcommittees from 1995 through 1998. In addition to theInternet, all Complaints and Final Decisions are availablefor public inspection at the Commission’s offices.

Regulations

Rulemaking is one of the Commission’s mostimportant means of clarifying and interpreting the laws itis entrusted to administer. During 2000, the full text ofthe Commission’s regulations, and all proposal andadoption notices published in the New Jersey Register,were placed on the Internet for the convenience of theregulated community and the public.

Each State administrative agency mustperiodically review all of its regulations, determine whichrules are obsolete or may need revision, and readopt thoserules that remain necessary and reasonable. During 2000,the Commission undertook and completed an agency-wide review process that entailed a section-by-sectionexamination of all Commission regulations, and over 50substantive changes. Among the entirely new rulesproposed and adopted were procedures for completion ofreporting for a candidate account established for oneelection when unspent funds from that election candidacyare “rolled over” by the candidate for a subsequentcandidacy. All proposed changes were the subject of apublic hearing conducted prior to adoption. In addition todrafting and promulgating these important changes, theLegal Section also assisted in reviewing and writing neweditions of both candidate and PAC Manuals, whichmanuals will reflect these changes.

Moreover, every four years the Commission isrequired by law to conduct a study of campaign costs. Asa result of this study, comprehensive amendments to therules were prepared and, after a public hearing, the newthreshold and ceiling amounts were adopted.

Advisory Opinions

In response to requests for advisory opinions, theCommission renders opinions on contemplated futureactivity by individuals and entities subject to therequirements of the reporting Act. Accordingly, thefollowing advisory opinions were issued last year:

• Candidate as an Officeholder: The Commissionheld that an elected officeholder who no longermaintains a candidate committee but continues tohold elected office was prohibited from establish-ing a continuing political committee (CPC).

• Reporting of funds received from an escrowaccount: The Commission held that a politicalaction committee (PAC) must report as acontributor each entity that provided funds thatwere deposited into a special escrow account.

• Possible Prohibited Contribution: In thisadvisory opinion, a corporation that is a wholly-owned subsidiary of a major company, which inturn indirectly owns a separate subsidiary thatprovides consumer credit, asked if the statutoryprohibition against political contributions wasapplicable to it. Because the question appeared tohave possible applicability to other contributingentities in this State, the Commission referred thequestion to the Attorney General.

Conclusion

Interpreting and enforcing the provisions of thelaw are critical and challenging elements of effectiveadministration of the campaign and lobbying financialdisclosure entrusted to the Commission. The LegalSection looks forward to meeting the continuingchallenges these important laws raise, and hopefullyassisting the Commission in serving both the regulatedpolitical community and public effectively.

LEGAL SECTION continued

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From left to right: Evelyn Ford, Maria Concepcion, Samira Wood, Monica Triplin-Nelson,Linda White, Christopher Guear, Kim Key, Titus Kamal, and Desiree DeVito

Campaign financial disclosure constitutes themission of the New Jersey Election Law EnforcementCommission. In late 1999, a disclosure revolution beganwhen the Commission broughtscanned images and a searchabledatabase to the Internet. The year2000 was the first full year of this“technology revolution.” Asdetailed below, the year 2000 wasspent implementing andenhancing electronic disclosurewhile maintaining the “paper”options of days past.

Compliance

While there were nogubernatorial or legislative racesin 2000, candidates andcommittees planning to run in2001 and future elections werestill required to file quarterlyreports of their activity. Campaign quarterly reports forthese and other upcoming elections were scanned to theInternet and available for public scrutiny within one weekof being filed. Also, there were numerous local electionsthroughout the State during the year 2000, with 5,182candidates, 1,507 PACs, and 550 lobbyists filing reports.Overall, approximately 18,300 campaign and PAC reportswere filed and available on the Internet in the year 2000.Over 4,500 lobbying reports were filed and processed, aswell.

Compliance with the campaign and lobbyinglaws remained high during the year 2000. This feat wasaccomplished by integrating the new technologies withthe successful compliance tools from prior years. TheCompliance Officers continued to be available both inperson and by telephone to assist candidates, treasurers,and lobbyists with their filing questions. The

Compliance staff responded to 7,626 telephone callsthroughout calendar year 2000.

Eight seminars were held during the year toprovide filing assistance to the regulated community.Staff conducted several seminars in Trenton and alsotraveled to Atlantic City and Monmouth County. For thefirst time, staff showcased the web site as part of theseminar program. By showing candidates how to obtainfiling materials and to view reports “on-line,” candidatesand treasurers were given a new level of compliancesupport and convenience. These seminars are enormouslypopular and will continue to be a staff priority.

The staff of the Compliance and InformationSection continued its direct mail outreach efforts duringthe year 2000. Staff sent a compliance manual to everycandidate running for public office in the major elections,and sent forms and materials to every PAC and registeredagent in New Jersey. Non-filer and delinquent letterswere transmitted shortly after each filing date. Theseefforts on the part of staff were made more efficient as a

COMPLIANCE AND INFORMATION SECTION

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result of the new office automation technology thatbecame fine-tuned during the year 2000. Not surprisingly,the compliance rate remained in the high 90th percentileby the time elections were held.

An electronic filing pilot program for legislativecandidates began in 1999 and was continued into the year2000. Feedback sessions were held, and staff began workto enhance and improve the electronic filing software.The Compliance staff looks forward to the campaign year2001 when electronic filing for its legislative candidateswill be made available for the general election.

Overall, the Compliance and Information Sectionis very proud of its role in promoting compliance effortsduring the 2000 calendar year. By using state-of-the-arttechnology to bring its materials to the Internet and bydeveloping electronic filing, candidates, PACs, andlobbyists were in the best position ever to comply withtheir filing requirements.

Information

Due to the high priority placed on publicdisclosure, the Commission is considered to be one of thefinest disclosure agencies in the country. New Jerseycitizens are becoming more involved in the Statewidepolitical process and in their local elections. As wordcontinued to spread that campaign and PAC reports wereviewable over the Internet, more and more people beganto use the web site. As expected, the number of requestsfor staff-prepared information decreased in 2000, a goodsign that our investment in the new technology is payingoff. Staff responded to 617 requests for information andprepared 118,865 photocopies. This decreasing trend willhopefully continue each year, as Internet access becomeswidespread.

The Annual Reports of financial activity oflobbyists continued to be of great interest to the press andpublic in 2000. The Compliance and Information staff

partnered with the Systems Administration staff toanalyze and compile summary data contained in theAnnual Reports. The information was entered andreleased on disk or on paper, and was also available onthe Commission’s web site. This project was the sourceof extensive coverage by the major media outlets andcontinues to provide a look at the process of influencinglegislation and regulations.

Reports of lobbying activity, filed quarterly byall registered agents, were summarized and published fourtimes during 2000. The summary contains a current listof every agent registered in New Jersey, a list ofrepresented organizations, and other importantinformation. Keeping the Governor, the Legislature, theExecutive Branch, and the public informed of who islobbying and the purpose of the lobbying is a keyingredient of the democratic process.

Conclusion

The year 2000 was the first full year of theELEC technology revolution. Staff promoted the use ofthe new web site by providing support and guidance tothe user community and by listening to user feedback.Modifications and enhancements were developed andimplemented in response to the needs of the user.Simplifying Internet use to the highest degree possiblewhile providing more information continued to be apriority. The staff of the Compliance and InformationSection is very proud to be an integral part of theelectronic disclosure movement and is looking forward tostaying on the “cutting-edge” of this technology in thefuture.

COMPLIANCE AND INFORMATION continued

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The Review and Investigation Section had anumber of occasions in the last year to utilize the benefitsof computer technology in completing its work. TheSection has strived to prepare investigative reports andcomplaints that are very specific and include a greatvolume of data pertinent to reporting of contribution andexpenditure information. Records of a campaign ororganizationaldepository maytypically consistof voluminoustransactions, andanalysis of thesetransactions isgreatly facilitatedby the existenceof such computerprograms asExcel. Workingfrom bankrecords, data canbe first enteredand then sorted toidentify andcompare contribution and expenditure information so thatstaff is able to examine a specific transaction as anisolated event or, working with the aid of computertechnology, as a piece of a larger network of transactions.One useful example of such application is theidentification of excessive contributions received anddeposited over a period of quarterly reporting periods.

Investigations

In calendar year 2000, 54 new investigations

were opened, 44 as a result of requests from the public,

and ten as a result of staff review. Staff closed 45

investigations, with complaint recommendations in 21 of

the cases.

In an investigation which involved one of the

most serious examples of failure to disclose financial

activity prior to an election, staff recommended a 40-

count complaint against a candidate for municipal office

and the campaign treasurer including 23 counts for failure

to report financial activity prior to the date of the 1998

municipal election, and additional counts for the receipt

of excessive contributions and the failure to report

financial activity prior to the date of the 1998 runoff

election. Substantial staff time was spent inputting and

sorting voluminous data from bank records, completing

the investigative report with preparation and verification

of 21 appendices setting forth detailed contributor and

expenditure information.

The Review and Investigation staff completed its

last nine investigations arising from the audit of the 42

county political party committees, for compliance with

the requirements of the Reporting Act. All nine

REVIEW AND INVESTIGATION SECTION

From left to right: Carol Hoekje, Brett Mead, Amy Davis, Renee Cardelucci, and Shreve Marshall

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investigations resulted in complaint recommendations. In

all, the audit, which resulted in recommendations to open

a total of 33 investigations, has resulted in 24 complaint

recommendations and six letters of correction.

Subpoenas. The Review and Investigation staffissued 12 subpoenas in calendar year 2000 in eightinvestigations, eight to financial institutions for records ofa campaign or organizational depository, and four forindividual or corporate records as authorized by theCommission.

Requests for Investigation

In 2000, the Commission received 89 requestsfor investigation. The Commission did not havejurisdiction over seven of these requests, and eightadditional requests were either resolved with thecomplainant, withdrawn, or otherwise administrativelyresolved. A net total of 74 requests for investigation fromcalendar year 2000 were presented to the Commission fora determination whether or not to open an investigation.Considerable time and effort is devoted by the staff togathering sufficient background information to preparethese requests for presentation to the Commission for itsreview. A number of requests for investigation continueto concern political identification requirements oncampaign literature, signs, and other communications. Aperson who requests that the Commission open aninvestigation should always forward as much specificevidence to support the allegations as possible. TheRequest for Investigation form is available on theCommission’s web site (http:// www.elec.state.nj.us/).

Additional Complaint Recommendations

The Review and Investigation Section is alsoresponsible for generating complaint recommendationsfor those candidates or filing entities that did not filecampaign, quarterly, or personal financial disclosure

(PFD) reports with the Commission. In 2000, the Reviewand Investigation staff prepared and forwarded to theLegal Section complaint recommendations that resulted inissuance of 36 non-filer complaints for the 1999 generalelection, seven for the 2000 municipal election, and 48non-filer complaints for the 2000 primary election.

REVIEW AND INVESTIGATION SECTION continued

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Three major tasks were accomplished in 2000 inpreparation for the 2001 gubernatorial public financingprogram: electronic filing by publicly-financedgubernatorial candidates, the quadrennial adjustment of

the limits and thresholds in the Campaign Reporting Act,and, the hiring and training of temporary public financingstaff.

Computer Developments

ELEC’s unique software application permittingpublicly-financed gubernatorial candidates to fileelectronically matching fund submissions and campaignreports became a reality in 2000 with completion of theGubernatorial Electronic Filing System (GEFS). WithGEFS in place, thousands of transactions and their relateddocumentation can be recorded on a single compact disk.The information can then be loaded directly into theCommission’s database, reducing the time needed toreview matching fund applications. As a result,gubernatorial candidates receive matching funds sooner,and contributor information is provided on the Internetearlier.

Working with the Commission’s computerconsultants, a complex GEFS database was designed toenter a campaign’s contribution and expenditure

information. In addition, all documentation required to befiled with contributions submitted for match can now bescanned by a campaign into the GEFS database andsubmitted to the Commission in the form of scannedimages. The single database may be used by agubernatorial campaign to create both the gubernatorialmatching fund applications and gubernatorial campaignreports. Detailed GEFS user manuals were written andextensive testing of GEFS was completed in 2000.

The GEFS software was provided withoutcharge to gubernatorial candidates in time for the 2001primary election. For any candidate wishing to filegubernatorial campaign reports in the traditional paperformat, new forms were designed and will be scanned intothe Commission’s computer system and made available tothe public on the Internet. As a result, the Commissioncan accommodate both electronic and paper filing.

GUBERNATORIAL PUBLIC FINANCING SECTION

From left to right: Lauren Yarosheski, Helen Staton , Mitali Dutta, Rahsan Canturk,Tamika Kinsey, Nedda Massar, and Lou Solimeo

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Gubernatorial Regulations

In the year before a gubernatorial election, theCommission is statutorily-mandated to calculate andpublish a quadrennial campaign cost index (CCI) byexamining inflationary changes in the costs relevant to allNew Jersey campaigns. After conducting a review of thevarious limits and thresholds in the Campaign ReportingAct, including the limits applicable to the public financingprogram, and using the same methodology it has appliedsince the first CCI adjustment in 1993, the Commissiondetermined that campaign costs in New Jersey had risenby 21.32 percent in the period following the 1997gubernatorial election. Following the notice and publichearing process all thresholds and limits of thegubernatorial public financing program were adjustedpursuant to the CCI index.

The cost index process, the public commentaryreceived, and the Commission’s response were discussedin the “2001 Cost Index Report,” which was published inDecember, 2000, and provided to the Legislature by thestatutory deadline.

Preparations for 2001

The most important component of the publicfinancing program is the temporary staff hired to reviewand process the candidate applications for matching fundsand to respond to public inquiries for information. Fourpublic financing analysts and one computer specialistwere hired in 2000, and all received intensive training inCommission regulations and public financing computeroperations.

Whether filed electronically or in a paper format,each contribution submitted for match and the supportingdocumentation must be reviewed by the public financinganalysts for conformity with statutory and regulatorycriteria. Contributions which are missing any requiredinformation are temporarily rejected for match until the

necessary information is supplied. All contributions arereviewed for compliance with the contribution limit.After this comprehensive review is completed, contributordata is made available to the public in a preelectiontimeframe as part of the contribution database on theCommission’s web site.

Information seminars and “hands-on” trainingsessions for the new GEFS software were conducted inthe fall for gubernatorial candidates and treasurersintending to participate in public financing.

Public Information

There has been a noticeable reduction in thenumber of photocopies of gubernatorial contributioninformation provided in response to requests from thepublic since contribution information for publicly-financed gubernatorial candidates became available on theCommission’s web site in October, 1999. With Internetaccess, any person can now immediately view reports ofgubernatorial contributors, sort the contributor data usingseveral options, and download the data to the user’scomputer. All of this information is available at no cost.However, the need remains for public financing staff torespond to telephone inquiries from the public, press,candidates, other jurisdictions, and the academiccommunity concerning the gubernatorial public financingprogram. Staff responded to more than 150 such publicinquiries for information in 2000, and also providedguidance to persons in use of the contributor database onthe Commission’s web site.

The first date for receipt of a 2001 gubernatorialprimary election matching fund submission was January8, 2001. All steps necessary to administer theCommission’s 2001 public financing program werecompleted by that date, and the Public Financing Sectioneagerly anticipates serving the public and the 2001gubernatorial campaigns.

GUBERNATORIAL PUBLIC FINANCING SECTION continued

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The Systems Administration Section isresponsible for managing the data received fromdisclosure reports, via traditional paper or electronicallyby diskette or CD. It is also responsible for providing

help-desk and desktop support to both in-house and out-of-house users as well as providing maintenanceassistance and development for various programs in useby the Commission.

The Section grew with five more positions, twoof which were filled during the year 2000. Anadministrator was hired to oversee systems programmingand a technician was hired to oversee help-desk anddesktop support. The search for additional computer staffhas been ongoing and additional staff will be hired in thenear future as an added complement to the existingcomputer staff.

The Systems Administration Section isresponsible for managing the Commission’s network andall of its peripherals. This mission includes overseeingthe maintenance and administration of the servers,routers, switches, PC’s, printers, and scanners. Inaddition to maintaining the hardware, the Section alsomaintains all of the maintenance and upgrades of thesoftware applications.

Changes were again made to the networkinfrastructure, enhancing the systems to make them morepowerful as well as faster for the many new users.Additional servers were added to the computer systems

for development, testing, and production.

The Section has a full-time staff personresponsible for help-desk and desktop supportprovided to ELEC staff for both hardware andsoftware maintenance. The help-desk is alsoavailable to outside users for assistance related to ourInternet site. A webmaster e-mail address wascreated this past year to accept e-mail concerning ourInternet site.

Development and Programming

The Commission’s biggest programmingaccomplishment was the completion of the GubernatorialElectronic Filing System (GEFS). This program allowsthe user to scan images of their source documents, entercontributor and expenditure information, and create thereporting format for either a submission for publicfunding or an election cycle report. However, before theinformation is submitted to the Commission, it isencrypted through an encryption program and written to aCompact Disk (CD). When received by the Commission,the CD is run through a program to decrypt it and uploadthe contributor and expenditure information to theCommission’s database. The information is thenreviewed and processed for either a submission of publicfunding or an election cycle report to be viewed by thepublic on the Commission’s web site.

A full-time systems programmer was employedto work on upgrading of the various systems, databases,and software. Other programming staff was kept busyduring the year responding to the many in-house and out-of-house requests for campaign contributor information inelectronic format. Programmers were also involved in

SYSTEMS ADMINISTRATION SECTION

From left to right: Anthony Giancarli, Brenda Brickhouse, Brian Robbins,Kim Vandegrift, Peter Palaitis, and Carol Neiman

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providing maintenance support for the many programapplications used by the Commission.

The Commission also added various sections onthe Home Page as well as a new section containing thetext of the Commission’s Regulations. Publications, suchas the Commission’s latest White Paper, arenow available to be viewed on the Internet andcan be downloaded to a user’s PC.

The annual lobbyist summaryinformation that is posted on the web siteincluded additional spreadsheets. Onecontains a listing of compensation paid bylobbyist organizations while the other containsa listing by legislative agents of their receiptsthat contains the name of their clients, feesreceived, and the purpose for lobbying.

Data Entry

The data entry staff remained extremely busyduring this non-legislative election year. Contributor datawas reviewed, keyed, and verified for countywide racesfor both the primary and general elections. Thecontributor data information was entered within weeksafter the filings occurred. Contributor detail data of thetwo State party, four legislative leadership committees,and the 42 county political party committees were alsoreviewed, keyed, verified, and made available to thepublic within weeks of the reports being received. Also,reviewed, keyed, and verified were the contributor data ofthe 2001 primary election legislative filings, and otherfuture election filings for school board, May municipal,primary, and general elections for the years 2001, 2002,2003, and 2004.

Data entry was also responsible for creating theelection-cycle checklists that are used by the Complianceand Information Section for sending out notices tocandidates and committees regarding filing requirements.

The quarterly and annual lobbyist and legislativeagent report information are keyed into the computersystem by the data entry staff as well. Summary reportsare then created from the keyed information.

Future Projects

• Enhance the electronic filing program for legislativeand local candidates and committees;

• Create electronic filing for PACs, consisting of thelegislative leadership, political party and continuingpolitical committees;

• Enhance the PAC module of the Commission’scomputer systems;

• Create a lobbyist module for scanning and electronicfiling;

• Upgrade the Oracle database to keep up with industrystandards, as well as upgrade the servers’ andworkstations’ operating systems to Windows 2000;

• Enhance the Commission’s Internet web site withmore interactive information; and

• Enhance ELECTrack (the Commission’s legacydatabase application) to become a more effectivecompliance tool.

SYSTEM ADMINISTRATION SECTION continued

From left to right: Pam Kinsey, Helen Kelly, Brenda Brickhouse, Shirley Bryant,and Darlene Kozlowski

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THE NEW JERSEY ELECTION LAW ENFORCEMENT COMMISSIONPROUDLY ANNOUNCES ITS EXTENSIVE WEB SITE!

LOG ON TO VIEW REPORTS, SEARCH FOR CONTRIBUTORS,OBTAIN FORMS, AND VIEW OTHER INFORMATION.

www.elec.state.nj.us/

ELEC’s HOME PAGE

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Hub 10 MBTREGULAR USERS

LASER PRINTERS

100 MBTBACKBONE

SWITCH

100 MBTSWITCH

POWER USERS

CABINET A & BMANAGEMENT

STATION

SWITCH ROUTER

SCAN STATIONS SCANNERS

CABINET C & D

ROBOTS

MANAGEMENTSTATION

WEB SERVER

OIT INTERNET

ELEC ONLINE

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During 2000, the Administration Sectioneffectively met the ever-increasing fiscal and personneldemands of the Commission. An essential part of theagency, Administration provides all management servicesfor the Commission.

Since ELEC is "in but not of" the Department ofLaw and Public Safety, the Department has noadministrative responsibility or control over theCommission.

Managing the Budget

For FY-2001 (beginning July 1, 2000), ELECreceived an annual appropriation of $2,978,000. Theadditional increase of $441,000 over FY 2000 is beingused to fund additional staff in the Computer Section.

These new staff members are providing help-desk supportfor the public and press, and internal support maintainingour Internet site. The Commission also intends topurchase a “Jukebox” this fiscal year which will store allcampaign finance reports filed with ELEC from 1999

forward.

Other Activities

Fiscal year 2000 was avery busy one for theAdministration Section. Staffprepared a Space Planning Request(SPR) in 1998 anticipating ELEC’sneed for additional space in 2000.After months of negotiation,ELEC’s request for additional spacewas granted. This space is currentlybeing used to house theCommission’s temporary PublicFinancing staff as well as theReview and Investigation Section.In addition to this space, ELEC wasalso given space in the mezzaninelevel of the building. The space isbeing utilized to store frequently-requested campaign finance reportsfrom recent years. This moverequired a huge effort on the part of

the Administration staff in terms of facilitiesmanagement. The task ranged from determining andproviding necessary electrical, computer hookups, phonelines, equipment, carpeting, and painting to measuring forand ordering furniture. All of these tasks had to becompleted on a timely basis. And despite the Verizonstrike, the entire project was completed by September.

In addition, since the start of the new fiscal year,ELEC had hired six new permanent staff and five newtemporary Public Financing staff. On one day alone, wehad six staff begin work for the Commission. ELEC’s

ADMINISTRATION SECTION

From left to right: Elaine Salit, Donna Margetts and Barbra Fasanella.Debbie Kostival and Irene Comiso not shown.

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Personnel Officer conducted a group orientation seminar,a first for ELEC. Never before had more than two peoplestarted on the same day. This situation also required newforms to be designed in order to keep track of everyone’spaperwork. The Personnel Officer now has a check-offlist that new staff initial when they receive all their benefitinformation etc. This procedure has proven to be aninvaluable tool for us. In addition, due to the increase instaff size, the task of payroll preparation has been greatlyexpanded. Due to this increase, ELEC’s Payroll Officernow prepares and distributes monthly reports to staff inorder to ensure proper recording of vacation, sick,voluntary furlough, and personal time. Additionally, aquarterly report is prepared for Directors to review toensure the accuracy of timekeeping by section.

Looking Forward

The Commission anticipates that in the comingyear its Internet site will continue to be accessed by agrowing number of interested members of the public aswell as the press. The extended election process that thecountry experienced this year will hopefully ignite newinterest in the political process. In addition, the upcomingGubernatorial Election should also inspire newawareness. As interest grows, the need for administrativesupport will increase as well. Requirements for new andupdated computer equipment, vendor support services,personnel support etc., will all increase. TheAdministration Section is prepared and looking forwardto meeting these needs.

ADMINISTRATION SECTION continued

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In FY-2002, the Commission anticipates an appropriation of $3,111,000 based on the Governor’s BudgetRecommendation, not including the Public Financing Program.

Comparison of Fiscal Years 2000 and 2001 Appropriations

FY-2000 FY-2001Appropriation Appropriation

Personnel $1,678,000 $1,734,000Printing & Supplies 49,000 49,000Travel 12,000 12,000Telephone 40,000 40,000Postage 38,000 38,000Data Processing 250,000 250,000Professional Services 36,000 36,000Other Services 30,000 30,000OTIS 27,000 27,000Maintenance/Equipment 2,000 2,000Furniture/Equipment 360,000 360,000Commissioner Per Diem 15,000 15,000Total Operational $2,537,000 $2,593,000Special Purpose 385,000 - for additional staff $2,978,000

2000 Evaluation Data

Disclosure Reports (Total) 22,852

Campaign & Quarterly 18,285Lobbyist 4,567Personal Finance 0

Photocopies 118,865Investigations 45Civil Prosecutions 112Public Assistance Requests 8,850

ADMINISTRATION SECTION continued

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ELEC OVER THE YEARS

Documents

The N.J. Election Law Enforcement CommissionHerrmann has also appeared as a campaign financing and lobbying law expert on radio and television. Currently, he is the book review editor