A reader has pointed out the list GA posted of Elizabeth Mason's Individual Contributions only addressed her Federal donations; this is true. Also, nearly every donation on that list was matched by her husband- there were 51 listings for the Masons in total.
The actual amount of money Mason has given to politicians and political committees is mind-boggling. And we haven't gotten to political contributions made by her PACs- 'Friends of Beth Mason', for example.
Here's a notorious one from the Occhipinti Purchase in 2010- the $8,200 bonanza from 'Friends of Beth Mason for City Council'.
Not only did Elizabeth Mason 'own' that donation, she wrote this to the Hoboken Reporter:
Well, all one needs to do to track contributions to and from "Friends of Beth Mason" would be to check their ELECs. Simple enough- if they existed.
Unfortunately, GA hasn't been able to find even one ELEC filing. Nor is it registered on the NJ Department of State Business Portal. Maybe you'll have better luck? With a lamp and a genie.
Anyway, GA thinks it is safe to say that more of the Councilwoman's money is moving around than is documented where the public can see it.
How is she paying her operatives? How many of them are there? Ones that make films for Nazi trucks, ones that harass a School Board Trustee in the presence of her little daughter, ones that plant made-up Nazi stories in the Hoboken Reporter, ones that orchestrate law suits...
Well, here is the note I received from a reader, of even MORE Mason political donations, which begs this question: what is she buying and what are they selling?
(Update- 2:00 PM)
GA just received a call from John Keim who clarified that 'Friends of Beth Mason' is not a PAC but an "Ongoing Political Committee" and that his wife was the Treasurer and is no longer involved. He hung up before I had the opportunity to ask him about the committee. Not sure why he hung up- I think I was polite.
Before he hung up, Mr. Keim threatened to write an 'amicus brief' (whatever that is) if I didn't edit the above. Well, for the record GA responded to Mr. Keim's appeal, not his threat.
I am glad he reached out to me to clarify what kind of entity FOB is. Maybe he can direct me to the ELECs.
The actual amount of money Mason has given to politicians and political committees is mind-boggling. And we haven't gotten to political contributions made by her PACs- 'Friends of Beth Mason', for example.
Here's a notorious one from the Occhipinti Purchase in 2010- the $8,200 bonanza from 'Friends of Beth Mason for City Council'.
 |
| 2010: 4th Ward Hoboken City Council candidate Tim Occhipinti ELEC |
Not only did Elizabeth Mason 'own' that donation, she wrote this to the Hoboken Reporter:
"My family and I were proud to contribute $13,000 of our hard-earned money to Councilman Occhipinti’s campaign..."
 |
| 2012: Hoboken BoE candidates, Move Forward ELEC |
Unfortunately, GA hasn't been able to find even one ELEC filing. Nor is it registered on the NJ Department of State Business Portal. Maybe you'll have better luck? With a lamp and a genie.
Anyway, GA thinks it is safe to say that more of the Councilwoman's money is moving around than is documented where the public can see it.
How is she paying her operatives? How many of them are there? Ones that make films for Nazi trucks, ones that harass a School Board Trustee in the presence of her little daughter, ones that plant made-up Nazi stories in the Hoboken Reporter, ones that orchestrate law suits...
Well, here is the note I received from a reader, of even MORE Mason political donations, which begs this question: what is she buying and what are they selling?
Why did you list only federal contributions?
Most of what she’s spread around is in NJ. This is a list of NJ contributions from November 2011:
- 11/18/2011 Richard Mason $4,000 Gordon Wagner Eustace For NJ 38th legislative District Democrat
- 11/9/2011 Elizabeth Mason $2,000 Vainieri Huttle Valerie State Assembly 37th Legislative District Democrat
- 11/16/2011 Elizabeth Mason $5000 Hogan John S. County Clerk, Bergen County Democrat ($2400 refunded because over ELEC limit)
- 1/26/2012 Friends of Beth Mason for City Council $1,000, Democratic Committee of Bergen County
- 3/14/2012 Elizabeth Mason $5,000 Union City First
- 5/08/2012 Elizabeth Mason $1,000 Sayegh, Andre Paterson CC
- 5/09/2012 Friends of Beth Mason for City Council $1,000 Tracy Zur Bergen County Freeholder Dem (primary)
- 5/31/2012 Elizabeth Mason $11,000 Bouldin & Zaft, Bergen County Freeholder Dem (primary) – illegal exceeds legal contribution limit by $5,800)
- 5/31/2012 Elizabeth Mason $10,000 Passaic County Democratic CMTE
- 6/5/2012 Elizabeth Mason $7,500 Passaic County Democratic Cmte
- 6/5/2012 Elizabeth Mason $15,000 Passaic County Democratic Cmte
- NJ reported contributions having nothing to do with Hoboken: $64,500 Of this $43,500 to Bergen and Passaic committees and candidates - were essentially contributions to Pascrall in his primary against Rothman. Note that Bouldin and Zaft were running against Zur so Mason contributed to both sides. Zur was running on Rothman’s line and Bouldin and Zaft on Pascrell’s. The contribution to Zur was probably really to support Zur. contribution to Bouldin and Zaft were probably directed by Pascrell to help get him votes in Bergen.
- Contributions to Hoboken Old Guard: 3/23/2011 Elizabeth Mason $2,000 Ruben Ramos
- 4/29/2011 Elizabeth Mason $3200 Ruben Ramos ($600 returned 5/6/2011) Despite the refund the contributions are still illegal since they were for same race (2011 primary) and net to $4,600 - $2,000 over the legal individual contribution limit
- 10/25/2011 Beth Mason for City Council $5,000 Romano, Anthony – legal because limit for committee is higher.
(Update- 2:00 PM)
GA just received a call from John Keim who clarified that 'Friends of Beth Mason' is not a PAC but an "Ongoing Political Committee" and that his wife was the Treasurer and is no longer involved. He hung up before I had the opportunity to ask him about the committee. Not sure why he hung up- I think I was polite.
Before he hung up, Mr. Keim threatened to write an 'amicus brief' (whatever that is) if I didn't edit the above. Well, for the record GA responded to Mr. Keim's appeal, not his threat.
I am glad he reached out to me to clarify what kind of entity FOB is. Maybe he can direct me to the ELECs.
Excellent work. This is the Mason paradox in black and white.
ReplyDeleteShe has long targeted higher office and is trying to buy her way into it. But she can't hang onto a lousy ward seat in Hoboken without buying votes. Nor can she function as just plain folks, which is needed at the ward level.
It's very telling that she has attempted to do this theatrically, posing with and pretending to listen to the imaginary concerns of paid actors for publicity film. (She looks heavily medicated in all these pictures.) But she can't actually relate to ordinary people except through this subterfuge.
Which is why she sucks at street level politics, even as she writes check after check to buy her way to Trenton.
It's as if she has a ladder that can reach the upper floors but has all the lower steps missing and is thus worthless in a Dada sort of way.
Whoa. Isn't Zur the Hoboken prosecutor? Something is rotten in Denmark.
ReplyDeleteHoly bought-and-paid-for justice, Batman! That is BIG.
DeleteSounds like serious trouble.