Politics & Government
ELEC Alleges Financial Misconduct by Four Essex County Officials
State election watchdog board is pointing fingers at four Essex politicians—including Congressman Donald Payne Jr.
Four Essex County leaders could be in some serious trouble, according to a published report.
The state Election Law Enforcement Commission released a report Wednesday accusing Essex Freeholders D. Bilal Beasley and Rufus Johnson, former Freeholder and present 10th District U.S. Rep Donald Payne Jr. and County Surrogate Theodore Stephens of fiscal violations stemming from the 2010 general election, said the Star-Ledger.
ELEC's report alleges that the four were involved with financial violations, the article continued. The commission asserts that the four failed to file certified reports in keeping with legal deadlines and, on three occasions, did not follow the legal protocol for reporting how they financed their campaigns.
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The commission said Payne, Johnson and Stephens could face fines of up to $6,800 for each reporting transaction improperly reported, according to the Star-Ledger. However Beasley could face higher fines—up to $13,600 per transaction—because of a previous case of improper campaign finance reporting in 2005 when he was president of the Irvington Council.
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