Traier headed to Board of Elections, opens path for Murphy comeback

Another sign that Peter Murphy is planning to return to his old job as Passaic County Republican Chairman: the incumbent, John Traier, is getting a seat on the Passaic County Board of Elections.

Ten days ago, Passaic County Republicans approved a change in the party by-laws that previously blocked his comeback.  Now Traier is getting a soft landing, with the consent of State Sen. Kristin Corrado (R-Totowa).   His term is up this June.

Traier backed former Assembly Majority Leader Paul DiGaetano (R-Franklin Lakes) in the 2017 Republican Senate primary against Corrado; last year, Corrado never signed off on Traier’s reappointment to the New Jersey Civil Rights Commission.

Murphy, who ran the party in the days when Republicans had complete control of government, gave up his post seventeen years ago after being charged in a kickback scheme.  His conviction was eventually overturned by the 3rd Circuit and he later pled guilty to a single count of mail fraud in exchange for not going through a second trial.

A faction of Passaic Republicans pushed through a by-law change to prevent Murphy from regaining power.