MAYOR DEREK ARMSTEAD CALLS FOR MAJOR REFORMS TO NEW JERSEY’S ELECTION LAWS IN WAKE OF DECEASED ASSEMBLYMAN GREEN’S CAMPAIGN CONTRIBUTION

Linden Mayor Derek Armstead called for major reforms to New Jersey’s Election Laws after campaign filings show that the campaign account of the late Assemblyman Gerald Green made over $329,000 in campaign contributions in the final days leading up to Election Day 2018.

Armstead said, “The late Assemblyman’s campaign funds were used as a “Slush Fund” for Senator and Union County Democratic Chairman Nicholas Scutari.” The Treasurer of Assemblyman Green’s account is Scutari protégé, county employee, and failed Linden Board of Education candidate, Kyle Holder. The Mayor went onto say, “a review of the contribution shows that they were made to benefit the County Chairman. The list speaks for itself.”

Armstead said, “That while the law may allow for a campaign fund to “Live Longer” than the candidate who raised them, the right thing to do was to contribute all of the money to charity.”

In December 2018 the Green account made a $10,000 donation to the Jerry Green Memorial Scholarship Fund at Union County College. “Just imagine how many young people could have been afforded life changing educational opportunities if the number was $329,000 instead”, said Armstead.

Mayor Armstead said, “He fully expects the Senator to claim that the law was followed and with the blessing of the Green Family. If the leadership of the Union County Democratic Party had anything resembling a moral compass, all of Jerry’s campaign funds would have been used to honor the Assemblyman.”

The Mayor went onto say, “I call upon the New Jersey Democratic State Committee ($25,000), the Monmouth County Democratic Committee ($37000), the Scotch Plains Democrats ($31,800) and last but not least the Union County Democratic Committee ($37,000) to lead the way and return these contributions on the condition that they be re-directed to the Jerry Green Memorial Scholarship Fund.”

“Over the past 25 years Jerry Green and I were both political friend and foe. But I know that for over 50 years that he was part of the struggle and served his community and his county and State of New Jersey with integrity. The fact that Scutari chose to contribute $10,000 to honor Assemblyman Green and $329,000 to benefit himself speaks little to Jerry’s character and volumes about him”, said Armstead.