NEW JERSEY – A bill that passed the Assembly in March expands the definition of bribery among public officials, Assemblyman Greg McGuckin says. The statute needs to include candidates too.
The bill, cosponsored by several Republicans including McGuckin, clarifies that New Jersey’s existing bribery statute applies to direct or indirect unlawful payoffs made to public officials, whether they occur before or after official acts. But McGuckin’s bill (A805) would expand that definition to include candidates running for public office.
McGuckin has made this his mission after a U.S. district court judge in 2010 tossed charges against a Democrat Jersey City mayoral candidate, ruling that existing laws did not apply since he was not an elected official. The scenario repeated itself in 2018 with a Democrat running for mayor of Bayonne, the charges again dismissed because he was a candidate for office, not an elected official.
Since 2012, the assemblyman has introduced bills to expand the statute to include political candidates. McGuckin’s bipartisan-backed bill finally passed the Legislature in 2022, but Gov. Phil Murphy conditionally vetoed it. While the Assembly adopted the governor’s changes, the bill stalled in the Senate.
“I mustered bipartisan support but then Senate Democrats pulled their punch,” McGuckin (R-Ocean) said. “If we’re serious about protecting the integrity of public offices and punishing those who seek or serve in office for their own gain, we need to pass a law that reflects that commitment. My bill does that.”
His bill is awaiting a hearing in the Assembly State and Local Government Committee.
Bribing a public official can carry penalties of up to 10 years in prison and a $150,000 fine.
“Whether you promise it before you get sworn in or after, it’s still bribery,” McGuckin added.
