Bribery is illegal in New Jersey, unless it’s bribing someone who is just running for office, not in office itself. Now legislators are looking to close that loophole with a bill that would hold candidates running for office to the same ethical standards as those elected. The bill’s resurgence comes as prosecutors seek to reinstate bribery charges against former Assemblyman Joseph O’Donnell, who was running for the mayor of Bayonne when he accepted a bribe.
But it’s not the first go for this bill. In fact, it’s stalled for the last 10 years. So will lawmakers finally decide that bribing candidates shouldn’t be treated differently than bribing an elected official? On Thursday, the Assembly and Senate both unanimously voted yes and passed the bill. It moves next to Gov. Phil Murphy’s desk for signature.
