Steve DeMicco Archives - New Jersey Globe

Joseph Patero, former Assembly Labor Committee chairman, dies at 88

June 23, 2020 1:09 pmJune 23, 2020 3:38 pm

Joseph D. Patero, who served eight terms in the State Assembly and was the sponsor of landmark legislation to establish paid family leave in New Jersey, died on June 20 at his home in Manville. He was 88. He served...

Weinberg seeks assurances that Murphy Inside/Outside calls didn’t violate ethics laws

July 17, 2019 2:02 pmJuly 19, 2019 8:56 am

Senate Majority Leader Loretta Weinberg is questioning whether the Murphy administration violated any state laws or codes of conduct in holding Inside/Outside calls between gubernatorial staffers and outside political consultants and lobbyists. “Professional lobbyists and consulting firms often have a...

Murphy defends Inside/Outside calls

July 16, 2019 1:27 pmJuly 16, 2019 2:00 pm

Gov. Phil Murphy defended conference calls between top members of his administration and his outside political consultants Tuesday. “No, absolutely not,” Murphy said when asked whether the calls should be stopped. “This is a very typical thing, not just for...

Murphy’s Inside/Outside calls discussed EDA

July 15, 2019 10:26 amJuly 15, 2019 11:40 am

The Murphy administration’s war on tax incentives and Democratic powerbroker George Norcross was a frequent topic on their Inside/Outside calls, a conference call held on most Fridays between senior members of the governor’s staff and their outside consulting team. The...

Phil Murphy’s Inside/Outside Call

July 12, 2019 12:05 amJuly 15, 2019 10:15 am

Most Fridays, top members of Gov. Phil Murphy’s staff participate in a conference call with some of the governor’s outside political consultants. It’s called the “Inside/Outside Call.” At least eleven Murphy aides are on the inside part of the call:...

The time an assemblyman won off the line

June 1, 2019 9:12 pm

It’s not uncommon for legislators to be dumped from the organization line and those who fight back hardly ever win. One of the most memorable examples of an assemblyman winning without party support was in 1979, when the Middlesex Democratic...

Footage from Murphy campaign used in dark money ads

May 28, 2019 12:01 amMay 28, 2019 1:07 am

One of Gov. Phil Murphy’s staffers makes a cameo appearance in a TV ad paid for by a dark money non-profit that is narrated by Murphy. The circumstances are complicated. The aide to the governor appears in b-roll that was...