Fair Elections for Fair Lawn?

Campaign contributions from private contractors to elected officials are pretty common at the federal level, and it's something we've covered here in the past. This morning, the Trenton Times reports on a pay-to-play ordinance with the Fair Lawn Borough Council in New Jersey.   An ordinance was passed in 2006 barring those with borough contracts from giving money "to a borough candidate or officeholder, a borough or Bergen County party committee, or to a political action committee that is organized for the primary purpose of promoting or supporting borough officeholders."   The ordinance makes sense. With the possibility of no-big contracts and sweetheart deals, borough contractors donating to the council that may award those same donors more contacts looks like quid pro quo.    Because politicians and campaign donors are all campaign finance experts, some seem to have found a loophole. Contractors have been donating to "Victory Accounts," with ties to the Bergen County Democratic Organization-a group that is included in the ordinance.   While the members of the Council slug it out, a lawyer is currently looking into whether two companies violated the law in 2006.   Fair Lawn just check in with the nine New Jersey state legislatures that were elected using Clean Elections in 2007.