Fisher files complaint against DeFusco for alleged law violation

HOBOKEN – Councilwoman Tiffanie Fisher filed a complaint on Oct. 17 with the Hoboken City Clerk and Corporation Counsel’s offices stating that mayoral candidate and Councilman Michael DeFusco has violated Hoboken’s local laws which limit political contributions from PAC’s and committees to $500.
Fisher has endorsed DeFusco’s opponent Council President Jen Giattino.
In her complaint, Fisher points to the last three ELEC reports filed under both Mike DeFusco for Hoboken Mayor and Team DeFusco for Hoboken accounts which show 15 separate contributions, several having donated more than once, amounting to over $71,000.
The majority of the PAC’s listed are affiliated with labor unions, according to Fisher.
“In Hoboken, we suffer from a long history of corruption and malfeasance in our elections and as such, I have been actively fighting for honest elections,” said Fisher in a press release. “In 2011, this law was passed specifically to help minimize the role and influence of special interests in our elections and our local government. The fact that a mayoral candidate has willingly violated these laws for his own advantage in this important election for Hoboken residents is shameful. I have requested that the law be enforced, and that Councilman DeFusco’s campaigns be fined the maximum amount provided under the law, which is $285,600.”
“The DeFusco Team campaign is in full compliance with all relevant election laws,” stated Ryan Yacco, DeFusco Team campaign manager. “We are aware that a complaint has been filed regarding the city’s local campaign finance ordinance, however we have no indication that the contributions in question are in violation and believe that this complaint is a blatantly political attempt by a Republican campaign to stifle the first amendment rights of labor unions.
“Many of these same unions contributed to Mayor Zimmer’s 2013 re-election campaign, which Councilwoman Giattino and Councilwoman Fisher apparently had no issue with at the time. This is nothing but an attempt to distract voters from the real issues at hand in this election and the need to move on from establishment politicians like Jen Giattino who have not delivered what Hoboken needs.”