Adler says money from grants program went towards district improvements, not "pet projects"
By Matt Friedman, PolitickerNJ.com ReporterJust before Medford Mayor Chris Myers announced that he planned to hold a press conference detailing State Sen. Adler’s receipt of money from a legislative slush fund, Adler acknowledged that he took some money from the Property Tax Assistance and Community Developments Grants program, but denied that the funds were used for pet projects or that he exerted any undue influence to get them.
“John Adler not only had no influence over the Property Tax Assistance and Community Development Fund, he did not know that two legislators had discretion over it. As he has since his election in 1991, Sen. Adler has fought for improvements in his district. These were not "pet projects" – again, the words of Chris Myers - but programs of importance to John Adler's constituents,” said Adler spokesman Mark Warren.
It is unclear for which specific projects those funds were used, and how much money Adler received.
Myers started asking Adler whether he participated in the program since last week, when testimony at former State Sen. Wayne Bryant’s corruption trial reignited interest in the now-defunct program.
Myers plans a press conference tomorrow at the State House with Republican State Chairman Tom Wilson in which he plans to “present evidence that Senator Adler did, in fact, control monies through this fund that were disbursed to his pet projects in Cherry Hill and the 6th Legislative District without proper oversight,” according to campaign manager Chris Russell.
Adler hit back at Myers for casting stones, tying him to a Burlington County Republican machine that’s no stranger to controversy.
“Instead of hurling baseless accusations, Mayor Myers should end his silence on a very real scandal in his own backyard that has already resulted in the conviction of one high-level Republican official: the criminal conspiracy involving kickbacks to vendors at the Burlington County Bridge Commission,” said Warren. “The conspiracy cost Burlington County taxpayers hundreds of thousands of dollars and is still being investigated by federal prosecutors. Yet Mayor Myers has said nothing about it. Nor has he urged that prosecutors get to the bottom of the matter to determine whether others in his party were involved in the wrongdoing.”
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Smoke from Adler campaign
Adler acknowledged that he took money from the fund, but his spokesperson says he had no influence over the fund and didn't know who did? Better get that story straight, and fast. But where there's smoke, there's usually fire, and it looks like the Senator from Norcross is about to flame out.
Adler is Lying
“John Adler not only had no influence over the Property Tax Assistance and Community Development Fund..."
Bogus. John Adler was given the little one piece pages of paper that needed to be filled out and he or his office had direct control of decisions. Adler should just fess up and say, "Hey, I had control over $X and I gave it to the following groups int he following amounts."
Why won't he do that? Did some of the money go to municipal clients?
Norcross
Norcross got some of it. Raining shoes as they continue to drop. Losing in the polls + corrupt practices = losing in November.
Johnny
Johnny jump to it is realizing he is not so wonderful and that voters are seeing him for the fraud he is, like Obama.
All the lies and money issues never go away, they only compound.
Ah, but hit Johnny where it will realy hurt!
It’s time to paint Adler as the radical ultra-liberal he really is. The following text should be read over images of terrorist attacks from around the world and headlines of the Ft. Dix Five.
“Adler led the fight to make sure that cop-killers and violent pedophiles that kill children will never face ultimate justice in NJ. Now Adler wants to take that ideology to Washington to make sure that terrorists who kill civilians and military personnel won’t be executed for their crimes against the U.S. – prosecutor’s could not even seek the death penalty for Osama Bin Laden for killing thousand of innocent people in the cowardly attacks of 9-11 and other terrorist bombing around the world!”
In the last three weeks running up to the election, such an ad would be running while the Ft. Dix Five trial gets underway. Paint him as a terrorist sympathizer.
Adler would use the same reasoning for his position as he did when it was passed; The State Supreme Court just won’t enforce the law so why waste the money. Well John, you were the Chairman of the Senate Judiciary Committee and as such vetted those Judges. Adler made one of three choices; A) - When faced with a choice of fighting the good fight or taking the easy way out, John chose the easy way out; B) As a lawyer Adler chose, for selfish professional reasons, not to make the Judges angry at him; or C) The real reason, Adler is an radical ultra-liberal just like Obama, with his connections to radicals, extremist and, in fact, even a terrorist.
Wow
First, Myers doesn't have the money to run commercials. Second, wow. Just wow. What a barbarian.
Dreaming Still?
Obvioulsy Indie, Myers hasnt had to run and ads on TV, nor spend the mills that Johnny has to keep ahead or tied in the polls.
Wow, really wow - you still cannot fathom that Myers dosent need the mills to make has point, or rather, Adler making Myes point for him as a trenton/camden politican.
The beauty is that going door to door through Burlco has been Myers' best tool. Adler would rather spend more mills on tv ads that most people turn the channel for than press the flesh.
28 days is not a lot of time and it is painfully obvious where the 3rd District is heading; back to GOP
Pablos
They are desperate and feeling the heat. Four polls - four leads for Myers. Now the shoes are dropping on Team Adler like rain in the Amazon. Even more interesting is now the Adler campaign is criticizing Jim Saxton for getting money for Lockheed Martin. Smart campaign move Johnny boy - more proof that he is anti-defense.