Hoboken Councilman Phil Cohen’s Statement on Filing ELEC Complaint Regarding Councilwoman Tiffanie Fisher’s Failure to File Required Financial Disclosures

Hoboken City Councilman Phil Cohen issued the following statement with respect to his filing with ELEC a Request for Investigation Regarding Councilwoman Tiffanie Fisher’s Failure to File Required Financial Disclosures:

HOBOKEN — Today (January 27, 2021), Councilman Phil Cohen filed a request for investigation with the New Jersey Election Law Enforcement Commission (ELEC) to address Councilwoman Tiffanie Fisher’s failure to file the required R-1 Report of Contribution and Expenditure 20-Day Post-Election Report or any other required post-election financial disclosures, following the City of Hoboken’s November 5, 2019 General Election.

As of January 27, 2021, Councilwoman Fisher’s last filed disclosure with respect to the November 5, 2019 City Council Election was received by ELEC on October 29, 2019.  All candidates who run for Hoboken City Council are required, by both local and State law, to file several post-election financial disclosures detailing certain campaign donations and expenditures. Candidates who fail to make such timely filings prevent both the general public — and in Hoboken, the City’s pay-to-play officer — from reviewing critical information pertaining to a campaign’s operations or potential conflicts — effectively frustrating the robust enforcement of Hoboken’s pay-to-play ordinance.

“During the Hoboken City Council’s meeting of January 6, 2021, I specifically told Councilwoman Fisher that her most recent ELEC disclosure for Hoboken’s November 5, 2019 City Council election was filed on October 29, 2019.  At that Council meeting, Councilwoman Fisher publicly acknowledged she had a legal obligation to make post-election ELEC disclosures.

Despite the fact that more than 20 days have passed since Councilwoman Fisher publicly acknowledged the requirement to file her post-election ELEC disclosures, Councilwoman Fisher refuses to do so. Instead, surprisingly, at our January 20 Council meeting, Councilwoman Fisher sponsored and introduced a new local “Pay-to-Play” ordinance — an ordinance that is effective only if candidates comply with requirements to make timely and complete disclosures to ELEC of campaign contributions and expenses — without addressing her own flagrant ELEC violations.”

Councilman Cohen has requested that ELEC assess Councilwoman Fisher all fines, costs and penalties, as appropriate.  Councilman Cohen has also submitted a request for investigation of this matter to the Hoboken Corporation Counsel’s office.