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Blood For Votes: Political Corruption and the New Jersey Black Bear Hunt

Eleven days before the 2009 New Jersey gubernatorial election, the New Jersey Outdoor Alliance(NJOA) spent nearly five times its legally allowed limit for campaign expenditures on a campaignrally for Christie. NJOA is a pro-hunting political action committee (PAC) whose mission was to bothelect Chris Christie as Governor and to reinstate a black bear hunt.

Christie, who did not record the event in his campaign reports, rewarded NJOA by making theunprecedented move of appointing the PACʼs president to his Environmental Protection transitionteam that addressed hunting policy.

Soon thereafter, a black bear hunting season was approved.

Part I. Follow the Money

The NJOA PAC is dedicated to expanding hunting opportunities in New Jersey. One of the PAC'sprincipal causes has been to reinstate a black bear hunting season.

There have been two bear hunts in the past 35 years—in 2003 and 2005.

NJOA endorsed Christie for governor, and its president, Anthony Mauro, made it clear thatelecting Christie was his group's top priority:

The NJOA has one mission up until election day - bringing attention to the deteriorating conditions of hunting, fishing, forestry, etc. and the election of Chris Christie. 10/5/09http://www.newjerseyhunter.com/article66400-3.htm 

In New Jersey, PACs are limited to a total expenditure of $3,400 for gubernatorial candidates. On9/4/17, NJOA made a direct donation of $1,000 to Christie's campaign (recorded 10/15/09 ELECfiling). Had NJOA obeyed the law, the PAC would then have been restricted to a balance of $2,400for the Christie campaign. The PAC, however, did not respect the legal limit. According to NJOA'sexpense records, it spentan additional $15,380.55,many times the legal limit,on electioneering in behalfof Christie. After theelection, NJOA donated

another $500 for Christieʼ

sinaugural.

The means by which NJOA funneled excess moneys into its electioneering for Christie was throughholding a rally to promote his candidacy. The effort included the printing of thousands of flyers andT-shirts, and putting up a billboard. NJOA's Rescue Our Outdoors Rally took place on 10/24/09, just11 days before the gubernatorial election. There is no question, however, that NJOA's direct intentwas specifically to hold a campaign event for Christieʼs election.

The following Internet posts from Mr. Mauro (some posted before the rally, some after) explicitlystate that the rally was about getting Christie elected:

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We also were the only conservation organization to endorse, and aggressively promote Gov Christie during his campaign for Governor. This was a bold and unusual step since most organizations will hide behind a policy of “only endorsing incumbents.” We held a rally in New Egypt for then candidate Christie. 04-12-2010 (emphasis added)http://www.thebassbarn.com/forum/showthread.php?p=2241226 

Many of you remember the NJOA “R.O.O.R. Rally” (Rescue Our Outdoor Rally) that helped to sweep Chris Christie into office last year. 3/7/10

http://forum1.aimoo.com/Hi Mar Striped Bass Club Board/Username-apmaurosr/RecentPosts.html 

Maybe you were able to join us at the R.O.O.R. Rally and would like a T-Shirt to commemorate that special day when you rallied to elect Mr. Chris Christie as governor.11/23/09http://njsaltwaterfisherman.com/forums/index.php?action=printpage;topic=14666.0 

If you would like to see the 150' perimeter bill become law I would suggest that you do everything that you can to ensure that Mr. Christie is elected Governor - including attending the NJOA rally. 9/29/09 http://www.newjerseyhunter.com/article66404.htm 

In the following post, NJOA's Central Regional Assistant Manager also stated the rally purposeclearly:

Please join us again at a major sportsmen's rally to elect Chris Christie and send a message to Trenton that we are still here. 9/20/09 http://www.newjerseyhunter.com/article66400.htm 

It isnʼt a secret that the rally was all about electing Christie. The following was published in the Star Ledger on 12/31/09:

The N.J. Outdoor Alliance endorsed Chris Christie for governor, and even held a rally for him at New Egypt Speedway. NJOA chairman Anthony Mauro is serving on Christie ̓   s 

transition team, and issues of concern to outdoor sportsmen should get more attention than in the previous administration. http://www.nj.com/sports/njsports/index.ssf/2009/12/ anglers begin new year with op.html 

In addition, the page promoting the rallyon the NJOA website linked directlyback to Christie's campaign site:

Guest: Chris Christie  (link no longer active) to speak of his commitment to outdoorsmen &

women! http://www.njoutdooralliance.org/where/rescueour/outdoorsrally.html 

In light of plentiful public statements that the purpose of the NJOA rally was to elect Christie asgovernor, there can be no doubt that NJOA spent the money for electioneering purposes. That therally was timed a mere 11 days before the election is further proof of the true nature of the event.

The following are NJOA's expenditures for the Rally, as recorded in its 1/15/10 ELEC filing. NJOAELEC Reports can be found at this link: http://www.elec.state.nj.us/ELECReport/ MultipleSearchView.aspx?Page=2&Name=NJ%20outdoor%20alliance 

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Venue rental (New Egypt Speedway) $3,000

Billboard $982

Rally flyers (30K) $1,284

Rally T-shirts $9,191.30

Insurance for rally $324.25

DJ and mike system $599 (the payment was made to Anthony Mauro)

Total Expenditures: $15,380.55

We know from photographs taken at the rally, and posted by NJOA, that the billboard and T-shirtspromoted Chris Christie. We can safely assume that the flyerspaid for and printed by NJOA also bore Christieʼs name.

The use of these advertising and campaign tools is basic tocampaign electioneering and is no different, for example, than

purchasing a cable-TV ad. When a group disseminates 30,000flyers across the state, prints hundreds of T-shirts, and puts upa billboard promoting a candidate a little more than a weekbefore an election, these are obvious campaign expenditures.

There is also photographic evidence that money was raised atthe event. This is relevant, because when the rally became afundraiser for political purposes, it completely erased anypossible argument that this was an “issues” rally and not (asNJOA proudly claims) a means by which to help a specificcandidate win office.

Over and above NJOAʼs aforementioned, potentially illegalcampaign expenditures, it appears that the PAC may havecommitted other violations of state election law. Theseviolations pertain to compliance rules for PACs as listed in theNJ ELEC guide, “Compliance Manual For Continuing PoliticalCommittees (CPCs) Legislative Leadership Committees (LLCs) Political Party Committees (PPCs)”http://www.elec.state.nj.us/pdffiles/forms/compliance/man cpc.pdf 

From the compliance manual:

D. Expenditures Made Immediately Before the Primary and General Elections (48-Hour Expenditure Notices) 

Expenditures of money or other things of value in excess of $1,200 in the aggregate made,incurred, or authorized in a primary or general election by a committee to support or defeat acandidate, or to aid the passage or defeat of a public question, must be reported, in writing,within 48 hours. The relevant time frame for this type of expenditure reporting is April 1st up to and including the date of the primary election, and October 1st up to and including the date of the general election.

NJOA Rally T -shirt. Note Christie’s name and campaign rhetoric: “Speaking on his Commitment to Outdoorsmen and Women!”  

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NJOA filed no 48-hour expenditure notices for the rally, which took place on 10/24/09.

From the compliance manual:

E. Political Identification Statements 

All committees are required to label all political communications with a political identification statement (“paid for by”).

The term political communication includes a press release, pamphlet, flyer, form letter, sign,billboard, paid advertisement printed in any newspaper or other publication or broadcast on radio or television, or telephone call featuring a recorded message, or delivered or accessed by electronic means, including, but not limited to, the Internet, or any other form of advertising directed to the electorate.

The photograph of the billboard showsclearly that NJOA failed to provide apolitical identification statement.Indeed, if one was to see the billboard and

not know about NJOA, one would have noidea at all that the group is a PAC and thatPAC money had paid for the sign andevent. In addition, the T-shirt (see abovepicture) bore no mention of the requiredlanguage. We do not have a copy of oneof the 30,000 flyers; it would be importantfor investigators to acquire one, for thelack of a political identification statementon the flyers would constitute a seriousviolation, in addition to the those already

enumerated.

From the compliance manual: 

F. Expenditures Made by aCommittee on Behalf of a Candidate 

Coordinated spending on behalf of a candidate or joint candidates committee by a committee is an in-kind contribution to the candidate and an expenditure by the committee. The committemaking the coordinated expenditure has the duty to provide, within 48 hours of making or authorizing the expenditure, written notice to the recipient candidate or joint candidates commi

containing: 

1. The name and address of the payee 2. The amount of the expenditure,3. The date the expenditure was made or authorized, and 4. The purpose of the expenditure.

G. Independent Expenditures 

http://www.flickr.com/photos/webmavennj/4053638678/ 

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An expenditure by a committee to support or defeat a candidate, made without the cooperation or prior consent of, or in consultation with or at the request or suggestion of, acandidate or any person or committee acting on behalf of a candidate, is an independent expenditure. An expenditure for a communication to aid the passage or defeat of a public question, which expenditure is made without consultation with, or at the suggestion of, any person or committee supporting or opposing a public question, is also an independent expenditure.

The Christie campaign did not report NJOAʼs expenditures in his behalf in its ELEC filings.

Chris Christie is no neophyte when it comes to the rules and regulations of political fundraising andin-kind expenditures; before he was U.S. Attorney, he was a recognized, top fundraiser for PresidentGeorge Bush. It defies credulity to believe that Christie, with his knowledge and experience,personally witnessed the NJOA's expenditures in his behalf and yet remained ignorant of NewJersey campaign finance law and the need to declare same as in-kind contributions.

Had the Christie campaign properly reported the in-kind contribution, regulators would haveimmediately seen that the PAC had richly exceeded the spending limit, and violat

 In the final days of the 2009 campaign, the NJOA/Bear Hunt PAC spent $15,380 electioneering toaid and benefit the candidacy of Chris Christie. The PAC's 9/14/09 $1,000 contribution brings thegroup's total electioneering expenditure in behalf of Chris Christie to $16,380, exceeding the $3,400PAC spending limit in New Jersey by $12,980.

We believe this mass influx of PAC money not only violated state election law, but that Christie,once declared the victor on 11/3/09, immediately rewarded NJOA for this behavior. We are thereforefiling election law complaints against both the NJOA and the Christie campaign.

From Christie ̓  s 11/23/09 20-day post-election ELEC filing. This is where the NJOA rally expenditures should have been recorded. But they were not. Note that Christie did report expenditures from another event that happened four days after the NJOA rally. 

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Part II: Quid Pro Quo

With the election over, NJOA and Mr. Mauro wasted no time in boasting that their efforts,specifically the October 24 rally, helped win the election for Chris Christie. Per an article titled “Black

bear hunting more likely with Christie as governor,” published in the Star Ledger on 1/02/10:

“Endorsing Governor-elect Christie was certainly a big event last year,” said NJOA Chairman Anthony Mauro. “It was a long-shot that he would have got in. We went ahead and not only endorsed him but got out there for two months, starting in Sussex County and going to Cape May talking to every sportsmens club we could. And we held the rally in New Egypt in late October to help him get elected. It definitely had an impact.” http://www.nj.com/sports/ njsports/index.ssf/2010/01/black bear hunting more likely.html 

The reward for NJOA's expenditures for Christieʼs election was immediate; Christie appointedMauro to his Environmental Protection transition team. http://www.comop.org/presskit/pdf/CHRIS%

20CHRISTIE%20TRANSITION%20TEAM.pdf 

It is important to understand that Mauro had noqualifications for such a position. He is anextremist trophy hunter who has postedphotographs of himself alongside “rare” or exoticspecies that he has killed. The appointment of ahunting PAC to the Environmental Protectiontransition team is a first for the state of NewJersey.

Mauro posted photographs of his trophies on hiswebsite, which has since been removed. However,you can view archived pages of it here:http://web.archive.org/web/20070808000639/ www.anthonypmaurosr.com/id42.html and here http://web.archive.org/web/20070808000153/ www.anthonypmaurosr.com/id4.html 

He is also a self-published author who, in his own description of his latest book, declares theimportance of intelligent design. http://www.amazon.com/Color-Green-Movement-Blue-Environmental/dp/1440197539. And http://forum1.aimoo.com/Hi Mar Striped Bass Club Board/ Username-apmaurosr/RecentPosts.html 

It should be noted that everynew member of NJOAreceives a copy of Mauro'sbook. NJOA then reimbursesMauro.

Anthony Mauro posing with a Zebra.

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Most importantly, there is no question that Christie put the unqualified Mauro on the DEP“Environmental Protection” transition team due solely to his electioneering work. Mauro himself statesas much:

I'd like to thank each of you for your involvement in the 2009 gubernatorial election. I'm confident that the prominent role the outdoor community played in helping to elect Governor Christie resulted in our concerns becoming highly visible, which led to our involvement in the 

Department of Environmental Protection Transition Team (as represented by the New Jersey Outdoor Alliance.) http://forum1.aimoo.com/Hi Mar Striped Bass Club Board/Username-apmaurosr/RecentPosts.html 

How this transpired is explained in a letter by the President of the Salt Water Anglers of BergenCounty:

NJOA staff campaigned for Christie and held a rally to support him on October 24th and I was present at it along with Dennis Nieradka. The weather was awful and Christie told the crowd several times how he appreciated us being there.

A lobbyist once told me that politics is a game of calculated risks and that is certainly true of the NJOAʼ  s gamble to support Christie, especially when he was not a sure shot to win and lost his big lead because of Daggetts entry into the election that siphoned off Christies votes. Well,this gamble is paying off since Anthony Mauro, NJOAʼ  s Executive Director, has been asked to be a part of Christie ̓  s transition team. He will be working on a sub-committee to make athorough top to bottom review of the Environmental Protection Department that administers thehunting and fishing programs of our state. This department has come under intense criticism,especially from hunters who have been frustrated by the shut down of the states bear hunting program and other issues. http://www.swabc.org/Dec%2009%20Bulletin/Dec%202009%20Bulletin%20p2.htm 

Installing a trophy hunter to review how the state manages hunting: is this the change ChrisChristie promised the people of New Jersey, or is it business as usual, with politicaloperatives managing state resources for their own benefit?

As shown by the Star Ledger article, and in less public posts on websites cited above, reinstating abear hunt was a major priority and focus for Christie and NJOA. Any possible doubt that Mauro usedhis position on the transition team to solidify the promised bear hunt is dispelled by his op-edpublished on wildnewjersey.tv. He wrote “A Bear Hunt is a Good Thing,” listing his role on thetransition team in his by-line. It is doubtful he would have included his position if it was not already

known that Christie put him there to get the bear hunt “done” and as repayment for services providedduring the election. http://wildnewjersey.tv/2010/07/29/wnj-opinion-a-bear-hunt-is-a-good-thing.aspx 

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Part III: Bad Science and Political Influence

Mauroʼs influence in the Christie administration goes well beyond the transition team. He wrote thefollowing in an email update sent out on 4/17/10:

Recently, we met with DEP Commissioner Bob Martin to discuss the issues that are of major concern to the outdoor community. As stated above, NJOA was represented on the DEP transition team at the request of the Christie administration.

After participating on the policy-making transition team for the DEP, Mauro and NJOA now haddirect access to the DEP Commissioner. The connections extend to state wildlife regulators. At leastthree DEP employees have contributed to NJOA (there are potentially more, as the ELEC formsdo not require the listing of individuals who make cash donations under $300):

Larry Herrighty, Assistant Director of Operations, NJ Division of Fish and Wildlife

Paul Castelli, Research Scientist, NJ Division of Fish and Wildlife

Patrick Di Gangi, Environmental Scientist, NJ DEP

The Herrighty connection is particularly disturbing: Herrighty was the contact person for publiccomments regarding the black bear policy:

The deadline for submitting comments [on black bear policy] is June 18, 2010. Comments 

can be submitted via regular mail: 

Larry Herrighty CBBMP Division of Fish and Wildlife Department of Environmental Protection P.O. Box 400 Trenton, New Jersey 08625-0400 http://www.newjerseyhunter.com/article80397.htm 

As soon as the Christie administration took power, the New Jersey Division of Fish and Wildlife

(DFW) began reporting a striking, anomalous surge in bear complaints, as a way to justify theplanned bear hunt and assuage any public doubts that a hunt was “necessary.” The problem wasthat it simply wasnʼt true—the data was fraudulent and the results fixed.

Rutgers University Professor Dr. Edward Tavss spent five months analyzing DFW data anduncovered the fact that the large number of complaints resulted from invalid interpretations,duplicate complaints and other erroneous data and procedure, and not from any actual increase incomplaints or an increase in the bear population.

In fact, bear complaints had decreased, not increased. www.aplnj.org/EdTavss2010Study.pdf 

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What role did Mauro play in this deception—whether through his time on the transition team or in hispersonal contacts with the DEP Commissioner? And what of the connection between employees ofthe DFW, the state agency that is supposed to produce unbiased science, and a PAC whosemission is to produce more hunting opportunities, regardless of what the facts are?

An independent investigation is needed to review how political operatives are controlling state policy,science and data, especially considering the Christie administration's unusual relationship with thisspecial interest PAC.

. . .

In the past 150 years, black bears have neither killed nor seriously hurt anyone in New Jersey. In thesame time period, hunters have killed and wounded innocent people, caused property damage,shooting at and through residential homes and automobiles. The disingenuous, and pronouncedlyunscientific, argument for human safety works infinitely on the side of the bears and absolutelyagainst those who would slaughter them.

Bear complaints have decreased. Nonlethal measures are working. But the bear hunt is neitherabout complaints nor real science; it is about the electoral support Chris Christie got from NJOA.

Wildlife is considered a “resource” that belongs to all people of our state. By keeping his side of thebargain he made with NJOA, Governor Christie is literally trading government resources inexchange for electoral support, and possibly illegal support at that. As U.S. Attorney, Christie wouldhave prosecuted a politician for doing such a thing. The quid pro quo, and all that it entailed,exposes Christieʼs reform and anti-corruption rhetoric as hypocritical.

On 12/6/10, when that first bear is killed by a hunter, she will not have died in the name of goodscience, but because of electioneering and political payback. Thatʼs called corruption, and it

shall forever stain Chris Christieʼs name.

THE EVIDENCE

Stuart ChaifetzSHowing Animals Respect and Kindness

www.sharkonline.org 

856 428 2635

Animal Protection League of New Jerseywww.aplnj.org 

732 446 6808

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 NJOA expenditures for the rally:

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Pictures from the rally:

Anthony Mauro and Chris Christie. http://www.flickr.com/photos/webmavennj/4053406965/  

Christie speaking at the rally, directly in front of the NJOA PAC banner. Note the lack of requiredlanguage on the banner, as well as on the billboard and T-shirts.

http://www.flickr.com/photos/webmavennj/4053403949/  

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Who paid for this bus, and why wasnʼt it listed as a campaign related expense?http://www.flickr.com/photos/webmavennj/4054128142/  

and http://www.flickr.com/photos/webmavennj/4054128052/  

Larry Herrighty, Assistant Director of Operations, NJ Division of Fish and Wildlife attending a politicalrally paid for by the NJOA and designed to elect Chris Christie for Governor. This is one of the top

men at the DFW who are responsible for authorizing a black bear hunt.http://www.flickr.com/photos/webmavennj/4053385671/  

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A table at the rally, where either the Christie campaign or the NJOA distributed literature and signs.There are also what appear to be sign up sheets.

http://www.flickr.com/photos/webmavennj/4053640574/  

It is possible that money may even have been raised at the Christie table.http://www.flickr.com/photos/webmavennj/4052901967/  

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NJOA raising funds and collecting money at the rally:

Again, note the lack of required language, yet clear evidence of fundraising.http://www.flickr.com/photos/webmavennj/4053637670/  

Note the yellow signs on the wall selling T-shirts and memberships, and the lack of requiredlanguage on banner. http://www.flickr.com/photos/webmavennj/4053613812/  

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More yellow signs on the table selling campaign material, with Anthony Mauro present.http://www.flickr.com/photos/webmavennj/4053623004/  

Note sign requesting donations. http://www.flickr.com/photos/webmavennj/4053725596/  

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Again, lack of required language on banner. http://www.flickr.com/photos/webmavennj/4052872453/  

Numerous Christie campaign signs along the rally property and under the billboard. There is nodoubt this was a campaign event paid for by the NJOA.http://www.flickr.com/photos/webmavennj/4053624430/  

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Christie posing with the NJOA rally mascot. Note the Christie campaign sticker on the mascot.http://www.flickr.com/photos/webmavennj/4053412817/