Marks Calls on Stender to Return Contributions from Those Charged in NJ Corruption Scandal

Former Scotch Plains Mayor and current District 22 Assembly Candidate Martin Marks is calling for opponent Linda Stender, D-Fanwood, to return donations that were made to her congressional campaign last year by key figures in the New Jersey corruption scandal.

In a statement released Wednesday, Marks said that he thinks it would be a sign of good faith to the voters if Stender donated the nearly $4000 she received from Hoboken Mayor Peter Cammarano, former Assemblyman Lou Manzo and his brother Ronald Manzo to a charity. All three men were charged with corruption last week for accepting illegal cash payments. 

“I spent nine years as the mayor of Scotch Plains and the thought of any elected official accepting a bribe makes me sick," Marks said in the statement. "Linda Stender should immediately return the almost $4,000 in campaign contributions she received from Mayor Peter Cammarano and the Manzo brothers. These men are alleged to have accepted cash bribes in an attempt to peddle their political influence, and that should have no place here in the 22nd District."

Stender's campaign manager, Ed Oatman, responded by saying that it's impossible for Stender to give back that money because the account for her congressional campaign is now closed. It'd be illegal, he said, for them to take money from her current assembly funds and use it for that purpose.

"Stender for Congress no longer exists," Oatman told Patch. "If Mayor Marks is urging us to use assembly finances, then that's a violation of state and federal election law. Those were congressional donations made last year and that account has no money in it. What the former mayor is asking us to do is completely illegal."

Marks' campaign manager, Anthony Attanasio, said that Stender's camp is simply hiding behind a technicality.

"The issue here is that that money was used to fund TV commercials and other political activities," Attanasio said. "That money was used for her political career and we’d like to see money in that amount used for a charitable cause. We think it’d be a good sign of faith to the voters in the 22nd for her to say these aren't the type of people she wants to accept money from." 

Stender was beaten last year in her Congressional race by Rep. Leonard Lance, R-Clinton. She is now pursuing her fifth term in the assembly in a race against Marks.