One day after a shadowy dark money group sent an attack mailer to Republicans urging them to vote for the Libertarian candidate, State Sen. Vince Polistina (R-Egg Harbor Township) asked the attorney general’s office to launch an investigation into possible election fraud and interference.
“Someone’s efforts to defraud the public, hide money, and affect the outcome of what should be a fair election are a threat to democracy,” said Polistina in a letter to Attorney General Matt Platkin.
The Libertarian, Shawn Peck, became so offended by the tenebrous, New York-based Jersey Freedom that he dropped out of the race and endorsed Polistina. Still, his name will remain on the ballot.
Polistina says that some photographs in the Jersey Freedom mailer were the same used by another 527 political organization with ties to South Jersey Democrats, but stopped short of alleging that the two groups are connected.
Jersey Freedom also sent attack mailers into the next-door 4th district, where Republicans are trying to flip three open legislative seats. The group was pushing GOP voters to skip their Senate candidate, Christopher Del Borrello, and instead send them toward Giuseppe Costanzo, an independent who is running on the “Conservatives South Jersey” banner.
On Thursday, Costanzo said he was at work and asked the New Jersey Globe if he could push off answering questions about his candidacy until 6 PM. Since then, despite multiple calls, Costanzo appears to be in hiding. He has mounted no visible campaign on his own, with no presence on social media.
But his running mate, Maureen Dukes-Penrose, a Democrat running as the conservative independent, told the New Jersey Globe on Friday that State Sen. Fred Madden (D-Washington Township) encouraged her to run. Madden denied involvement, insisting that he “never heard” of Dukes-Penrose.
“Planting a fake candidate in the 4th District race to try and steal this election – and then funding that candidate with a shady PAC based in New York City – is the last, dying gasp of the corrupt South Jersey Democrat Machine,” Del Borrello said in a statement earlier today.
Polistina faces Atlantic County Commissioner Caren Fitzpatrick in the 2nd district; Del Borrello is facing off against Assemblyman Paul Moriarty (D-Washington Township) for the 4th district Senate seat Madden is giving up after 20 years.
