Traier settles ELEC complaint

Former Passaic County Republican Chairman John Traier has settled a complaint with the New Jersey Election Law Enforcement Commission (ELEC) for $275.

Traier allegedly failed to file reports with ELEC during his 2015 campaign for State Assembly against Sheila Oliver and Thomas Giblin in the 34th district.  As part of the settlement, Traier did not after to admit or deny the allegations made against him.

Another Passaic County Republican, Rhina Tavarez, was fined $400 for failing to file reports for her 2013 Assembly campaign against Shavonda Sumter and Benjie Wimberly in the 35th district.  She lost by more than 13,000 votes.

Traier finished 9,269 votes behind Oliver, a former Assembly Speaker who is now the Lt. Governor.  He lost all four towns in the district, although in his hometown of Clifton, where he once served on the school board, he finished just 816 votes behind Oliver.

A former acting Commissioner of Banking under Gov. Christine Todd Whitman, Traier did not seek re-election as county chairman last month, paving the way for Peter Murphy to return to the post he gave up in 2001.