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| By Matt Friedman |
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Good Friday morning! Welcome to the new era of political campaign ads. It’s kind of frightening. It’s not really remarkable that Bill Spadea and Jack Ciattarelli are fighting over who gets to be the more pro-Trump 2025 Republican gubernatorial candidate. Here’s what is: A new Spadea ad that features an AI recreation of Ciattarelli’s voice reading some past statements he made about Trump that weren’t recorded — at least not for public consumption. The ad includes a small disclaimer on the bottom that says they’re actual quotes but that Ciattarelli’s voice has been recreated with AI. It drew outrage from Ciattarelli’s campaign. “Spadea is terrified of real — and recent — video of him trashing Trump," said Ciattarelli consultant Chris Russell on Twitter. Spadea campaign manager Tom Bonfonti said this in a statement: “Pay attention to the fact that Jack doesn’t like that a voice is being used to highlight his words — BUT he’s NOT disputing that those words are actually his, because his anti-Trump comments are indisputably his own.” Bonfonti's statement was picked up by POLITICO’s Daniel Han. I don’t find anything about the ad itself egregious, since there’s no dispute Ciattarelli said what his AI voice says. But this is the first use of the technology I know of in a New Jersey campaign. It’s the implications of the technology that scare me — the deepfake possibilities. Especially in our current information environment, when this kind of stuff can be easily distributed by bad actors on social media without any human being whose job it is to verify it. So it is timely that the Legislature is well into considering a bill to ban deceptive political deepfakes within 90 days of an election. TIPS? FEEDBACK Email me at mfriedman@politico.com. QUOTE OF THE DAY: “So long as voters are bombarded 24/7 with algorithmically targeted content that reinforces partisan passions with no mechanism for distinguishing truth from lies, we're not getting out of this mess.” — Tom Malinowski HAPPY BIRTHDAY — Dan Benson, Alan Steinberg, Joe Libutti. Saturday for Fernando Alonso, Matt Dennis, Mike Ramaglia. Sunday for Luke Bohm, Mary Maples, Fatima Heyward. WHERE’S MURPHY? On Bloomberg TV at 12:40 p.m. | | | | A message from Johnson & Johnson: We’re restoring the true meaning of healthcare— Championing and supporting nurses on the frontline of delivering quality patient care. See how we’re connecting the best of Health&Care for every patient and provider. Learn more. | | | |
 | WHAT TRENTON MADE | |
GOV CRAWL — In Atlantic City, the New Jersey governor’s race was in full swing, by POLITICO’s Daniel Han: Gubernatorial candidates were certainly talking around Atlantic City. Rep. Josh Gottheimer (D-N.J.) hosted a breakfast reception at Oceans Casino, right off the casino floor. Jack Ciattarelli, who has been running for governor for most of the past 10 years, took pictures with Republican politicos from across the state grinning ear-to-ear. Conservative radio host Bill Spadea walked the casino halls with Ocean County GOP Chair George Gilmore — at one point walking by primary rival Sen. Jon Bramnick. Bramnick, a moderate anti-Trump Republican, held his own event at the Borgata, where some of the state’s top GOP lawmakers swung by. Bramnick told reporters he would support having
GOP former Gov. Chris Christie — who left office deeply unpopular — campaign with him. “Governor Christie is clearly on my team,” Bramnick said. “He's come to my house. I would ask him to campaign, absolutely. [He is] one of the most articulate candidates and governors I'd ever seen.” Rep. Mikie Sherrill (D-N.J.), Guinness in hand at the Irish Pub, spoke with top brass at the state’s firefighters union, which endorsed her for governor … Less than two hours later, the pub was occupied by a rival Democratic primary opponent for governor, Steve Sweeney, who was the longest-serving leader of the state Senate in New Jersey history.
— “Casino workers who want smoking ended demonstrate in Atlantic City” — Most New Jersey Dems running for governor express support for codifying ‘Sanctuary State’ — “Economic concerns dominate as state lawmakers face local officials” PAPER CUTS — News industry proposes solution for legal notices, by POLITICO’s Matt Friedman: The New Jersey Press Association released draft legislation Thursday that would tweak New Jersey’s requirements for local governments publishing legal notices by allowing them to be placed in online-only publications. The draft bill would require the online publications to have paid subscribers to be eligible. The proposal comes as lawmakers grapple with a post-print news media and an antiquated law that requires local governments to place ads in printed newspapers that in many places will soon cease to exist. No lawmaker has yet introduced the proposal, which would also create a new way of calculating the costs to run the notices online. Local government lobbyists, by contrast, are
pushing to publish the notices on their own websites to save money. — Fred Snowflack: “[T]here is also a blunt question that must be raised: Given the fact daily papers no longer regularly cover local government, why should local town councils and school boards give them legal ads?” — “Lawmakers exploring changes to law on legal notices after newspaper declines” — Bob Smith and Kip Bateman: “Open Space efforts benefit New Jersey. We have to keep going” | | | | Want to know what's really happening with Congress's make-or-break spending fights? Get daily insider analysis of Hill negotiations, funding deadlines, and breaking developments—free in your inbox with Inside Congress. Subscribe now. | | | | | |
| BIDEN TIME
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GAET CHECK — Donald Trump gets a brutal reality check, by POLITICO’s Kyle Cheney: Donald Trump is not a monarch. That’s the unmistakable lesson of the ill-fated nomination of Matt Gaetz for attorney general. Rather than showcasing Trump’s absolute power over his GOP allies, it revealed his limits. The doomed nomination lasted just eight days — and its failure is an unwelcome lesson for the president-elect, who has been projecting invincibility and claiming a historic mandate despite his reed-thin popular vote victory. “The short version is ‘checks and balances work,’” said Eugene Volokh, a UCLA professor of law. Though Republicans will control both chambers of Congress, the resistance from Senate Republicans to Gaetz’s
nomination proved that there are still some checks on Trump — no matter how limited — that can hold, despite fear on the left that he will squeeze Congress into submission, get carte blanche from the conservative-dominated Supreme Court and enact his agenda at will. “I think it shows that Donald Trump cannot get anything he wants,” said Erwin Chemerinsky, dean of the University of California-Berkeley School of Law.
WITH ARMS SALES WIDE OPEN — “How did Senators Booker, Helmy vote on blocking arms sales to Israel?” by The Record’s Hannan Adely: “The United States can proceed with $20 billion in arms sales to Israel after the Senate voted against three resolutions Wednesday that would have blocked part of the arms deal, with New Jersey’s representatives voting with the majority. The measures called for stopping sales of tank rounds, mortars and bomb guidance kits to Israel that amounted to about $1.1 billion. The first vote was 18 to 79; the second was 19 to 78; and the last vote 17 to 80. New Jersey Sen. Cory Booker voted against blocking any arms sales. Sen. George Helmy's vote was split, voting to block sale of mortars but not tank rounds. Helmy also voted no to blocking sale of guided kits for bombs.”
— “Biden creates board in effort to solve dispute between NJ Transit, union” — “Rob Menendez has ideas on how Democrats can win Hispanic voters back” — Sherrill: “A parent’s perspective: We must do more to protect our kids online” — “Sellinger won’t say if or when he’s leaving” — “Bracing for the Dr. Oz effect on health care” | | | | A message from Johnson & Johnson:   | | | |
| LOCAL | |
TRENTON COPS — DOJ investigation finds police misconduct, constitutional violations in New Jersey's capital, by POLITICO’s Dustin Racioppi: Police in New Jersey's capital city engaged in a pattern of misconduct that violated the constitutional rights of its residents, the Department of Justice said Thursday. The investigation in Trenton, launched last year by the Justice Department and U.S. Attorney's Office for New Jersey, found that police used "excessive force, including using unreasonable forms of physical force and pepper spray," and made unlawful stops, searches and arrests.
Assistant Attorney General Kristen Clarke offered a brief list of "egregious" and "unlawful" alleged conduct — including an officer repeatedly striking a woman at a soup kitchen with a police radio, and officers slamming and pepper spraying a 64-year-old man after he wouldn't let them into his home without a warrant. The man died nearly three weeks later of respiratory failure … In one deadly incident, officers allegedly tackled and pepper-sprayed a man experiencing a mental health episode. They handcuffed him and held him down while waiting for a transport van, but the man cried out that they were crushing his skull, according to the report. The officers continued to push his head down, pinned his arms and legs, and took turns holding a knee on his back
while he cried repeatedly, “I can’t breathe” and “I’m gonna die," the report said. Then man became "quiet and still" after about four minutes. He was later pronounced dead. — “[Trenton] cop indicted for pepper spraying man who died turns down plea deal, lawyer says” PAT-ERSON — “Paterson police critics applaud choice for department's new leader, a 40-year veteran,” by The Paterson Press’ Joe Malinconico: “Pat Murray fits the profile of law enforcement leaders who often become targets of criticism from social justice activists. An old-school white guy in his 60s who has been a city cop for almost four decades, Murray on Friday takes command as the state-appointed Officer in Charge of the Paterson police department. But instead of objecting to Murray, longtime city police critics are applauding … ‘He’s an excellent choice who knows our community,’ said Paterson activist Ernest Rucker. ‘I think he’s more of a community guy than he is a cop.’ … Murray made his reputation in Paterson as commander of the Cease-Fire unit, which investigated
nonfatal shootings. Cease-Fire achieved such a high arrest rate in shooting cases that detectives from other New Jersey cities came to Paterson to learn from Murray’s group.” PLUMSDEAD — “Plumsted said it needed $32M sewer plant to stay alive; now bills are killing residents,” by The Asbury Park Press’ Michael L. Diamond: “Plumsted is in a bind. The township built a $32 million state-of-the art wastewater treatment plant to help jump-start economic development, but now it doesn't have enough money to pay for it. The project's financial impact isn't a surprise; the town was warned in 2014 that it would be a stretch on consumers' pocketbooks. Now that the worst-case scenario has been left to Brian Brach, Plumsted Municipal Utilities Authority's interim executive director, who was brought on last year to untangle the agency's finances. But he says he hasn't found a solution that will make anyone happy. ‘It's really difficult,’ Brach said. ‘Getting operational money is like getting
blood from a rock nowadays.’” TONIGHT THEY’RE GONNA PARTY LIKE IT’S 1933 — “Referendum vote brings Haddon Heights closer to selling alcohol. Why this may take time,” by The Courier-Post’s Jim Walsh: “Residents have strongly backed the concept of selling of alcoholic beverages in restaurants here, but don’t pop any corks just yet. Voter approval in the Nov. 5 election only gave the go-ahead to the borough's elected leaders, who face a time-consuming process to amend a local ban on alcoholic beverage sales. ‘This process will involve consulting with professionals and experts, as well as the (New Jersey) Division of Alcoholic Beverage Control,’ a statement at the borough's website said. In the coming months, borough officials are also to host a public discussion to gather more feedback from local residents and business owners.”
— “Ex-Marlboro teacher publicly accused of sex crime sues family, online detractors” — “Monmouth airport owner claims county is invoking eminent domain law in takeover bid” — “[Fairfield] police union votes no-confidence in chief over salaries, leadership” — “Clifton schools superintendent is back to work after three-month leave” — “Despite explosion of new units, Paterson still has large affordable housing need” — “Op-Ed: ‘MAGA Republicans didn’t cause Hoboken’s downward spiral, Bhalla Dems did’” — “Newcomers sew up victories in Haledon school board election” | | | | Don't just read headlines—guide your organization's next move. POLITICO Pro's comprehensive Data Analysis tracks power shifts in Congress, ballot measures, and committee turnovers, giving you the deep context behind every policy decision. Learn more about what POLITICO Pro can do for you. | | | | | |
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EVERYTHING ELSE | |
YOUNG AMERICANS — “His online gaming romance led to U.S. citizenship. 20 new Americans celebrate their journeys,” by NJ Advance Media’s Nyah Marshall: “For Javier Ariel, a Rowan University faculty member, the journey to becoming a U.S. citizen has been more than five years in the making. With his wife and family seated in the packed jury room at the Cumberland County Courthouse in Bridgeton on Thursday, Ariel took the Naturalization Oath of Allegiance — one of the final steps on his journey to becoming an American citizen. 'I could have just stayed with my residency and been fine with that, but having this visitation gives you closure,' Ariel said after the ceremony … Like some of the other 20 citizenship candidates who gathered at the courthouse to finalize their naturalization, Ariel was sponsored through marriage.
Originally from El Salvador, Ariel met his wife online playing a video game at age 18.”
CRYPTO GRIFTO — “From crypto billionaire to key witness: Cherry Hill East grad evades jail via cooperation,” by The Courier-Post’s Jim Walsh: “A South Jersey man has avoided a prison term for his role in a massive cryptocurrency fraud. Zixiao ‘Gary’ Wang used his talent as a computer programmer to enable a multibillion-dollar scam at FTX, a crypto trading platform that stole from its customers. But Wang also played a key role in the prosecution of higher-ups involved in the fraud, notably the company’s now-imprisoned leader, Samuel Bankman-Fried. Wang helped to recover ‘hundreds of millions of dollars in assets for the benefit of victims,’ federal prosecutors said in a Nov. 13 letter to Wang’s sentencing judge. A 2011 graduate of Cherry Hill High School East, Wang has lived in recent
years at his parents’ home in Egg Harbor Township, court records said.” — “Truckloads of relics from Gillian’s Wonderland Pier in Ocean City are being sold off at ‘Obnoxious Antiques’ on Route 130” | | | | A message from Johnson & Johnson:
At Johnson & Johnson, we believe health is everything. Our strength in healthcare innovation empowers us to build a world where complex diseases are prevented, treated, and cured; treatments are smarter and less invasive; and solutions are personal. We are uniquely positioned to innovate across the full spectrum of healthcare solutions today to deliver the breakthroughs of tomorrow. We combine our science and technology with our determination to create a powerful force for care… and profoundly impact health for humanity. Learn more. | | | | |
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