Is Pay-to-Play Still Alive and Well in New Jersey?

Yesterday, ELEC Executive Director Jeffrey Brindle and State Comptroller Matthew Boxer appeared together at a press conference to discuss pay-to-play reform in New Jersey. In conjunction with this press conference, the State Comptroller issued both a press release and a procurement report on “weaknesses” of the “fair and open process” applicable at the state and county level in New Jersey. According to the report, the “fair and open” system “presents few, if any, real obstacles to a government entity seeking to award a contract to a potentially favored vendor.” Following yesterday’s press conference, ELEC also issued a press release  on pay-to-play reform, which sets forth a series of recommended changes to New Jersey’s statewide pay-to-play law applicable to county and municipal government contracts. ELEC recommends: (1) one state law that would apply across the board; (2) elimination of the “fair and open process” exception; (3) a change in the reporting threshold for ELEC’s Business Entity Annual Disclosure Report from a $50,000 aggregate annual threshold to a $17,500 per contract threshold; and (4) an increase in contribution limits for government contractors. ELEC and the State Comptroller’s Office are hoping that “by joining forces”, they will bring about meaningful pay-to-play reform to the Garden State.