Wednesday, October 28, 2026 · Serving all of Hudson County since March 2011Secaucus, N.J. slate filed 0 Form C-1s on $8,740 in gifts
NJ ELEC Deputy Director Joe Donohue confirmed in writing Tuesday that a joint candidates committee filing Form A-2 must still file a Form C-1 (Supplemental Contributor Information) report if it receives a contribution above $200—putting a spotlight on $8,740.00 in 2025 contributions (and $6,800 to $7,100 in 2024) reported by Secaucus contractors on sworn Form BE filings to Mayor Michael Gonnelli's Moving Secaucus Forward slate, which has zero Form C-1 filings on record for 2025 or 2026.
SECAUCUS, N.J. — New Jersey Election Law Enforcement Commission (ELEC) Deputy Director Joe Donohue confirmed in writing to Hudson TV on Tuesday, Oct. 27 that when a municipal joint candidates committee files a sworn Form A-2 to exempt itself from itemized reporting, it must still file a Form C-1 (Supplemental Contributor Information) report for any donor contributing over $200—and that the state’s two-year enforcement window covers 2025 and 2026 filings.
Donohue’s confirmation spotlights $8,740.00 in 2025 contributions (plus $6,800.00 to $7,100.00 in 2024, totaling $15,540.00 to $15,840.00) that six Secaucus contractors—led by data-center landlord Hartz Mountain Industries ($3,600.00 in 2025) and Consulting Engineer Remington & Vernick Engineers ($2,500.00 in 2025; $3,500.00 in 2024)—swore on annual ELEC Form BE filings they gave to “Moving Secaucus Forward,” the joint slate of Mayor Michael J. Gonnelli and the Town Council.
What NJ ELEC Confirmed on the Record
Both Gonnelli’s 2025 committee (ENTITY_S 448973 — Gonnelli, Robert Costantino, Mark Dehnert, and William McKeever, Form D-2 DocId 3746295/3872234; Form A-2 DocId 3872236/3890501) and the 2026 council slate on the Nov. 3 ballot (ENTITY_S 448968 — John Gerbasio, James Clancy, and Orietta Tringali, Form D-2 DocId 3746311; Form A-2 DocId 3936180) certified expenditures under $18,700 ($13,100 for two candidates). Paragraph 3 of Form A-2 mandates Form C-1 for any donor exceeding $200. Donohue wrote:
“The new law reduced the statute of limitations for enforcing our statutes from 10 to 2 years… As for local pay to play ordinances, the Elections Transparency Act, which was enacted April 3, 2023, repealed them retroactively effective January 1, 2023. A joint committee must file an R-1 report if it expends more than $13,100 for two candidates or $18,700 for three candidates. A joint committee filing a A-2 form, even if it does not exceed the thresholds requiring R-1 filings, must file a supplemental contributor information form (C-1) if it receives a contribution above $200.”
2021 vs. 2025–2026: Two Form C-1s Filed in 2021, Zero Since
On Oct. 8, 2021, after filing Form A-2 for the 2021 election (ENTITY_S 415047), Treasurer Donna Przychodzki filed two Form C-1 reports totaling $4,500.00: DocId 3668787 ($3,000.00—$1,500.00 from Hartz Mountain, $900.00 from Goya Foods, and $600.00 from Secaucus PBA Local 84 Civic Association Inc.) and DocId 3668792 ($1,500.00 from Mack Management & Contribution Corp.). For 2025 and 2026, ELEC shows zero Form C-1 filings.
Verified 2025 Contractor Form BE Contributions ($8,740.00)
| Contractor (Vendor ID) | 2025 Check Dates & Amounts | 2025 Total |
|---|---|---|
Hartz Mountain Industries (VID 10725/16403) | 03/18/2025 ($3,000.00); 09/23/2025 ($600.00) | $3,600.00 |
Remington & Vernick Engineers (VID 15757) | 04/03/2025 ($1,500.00); 10/07/2025 ($1,000.00) | $2,500.00 |
Beckmeyer Engineering, P.C. (VID 13338) | 03/28/2025 ($600.00); 09/02/2025 ($120.00) | $720.00 |
Anthony Grano / Persistent Construction (VID 10367) | 02/11/2025 ($120.00); 04/01/2025 ($480.00); 09/22/2025 ($120.00) | $720.00 |
Boswell, Inc. (VID 10767) | 04/02/2025 ($600.00) | $600.00 |
Rogut McCarthy LLC (VID 13245) | 04/04/2025 ($600.00) | $600.00 |
| TOTAL (11 Entries, 6 Contractors) | 0 Form C-1s Filed | $8,740.00 |
No-Bid Printing Contract & Campaign Silence
Donohue’s Jan. 1, 2023 repeal confirmation also refutes Town Administrator Gary Jeffas’s claim that a local $1,000 ordinance exempted Impressive Printing President Robert Egan’s March 29, 2023 $600.00 check before the Feb. 27, 2024 $193,000.00 no-bid award (Res. 2024-48). Town Clerk Michael Marra certified Oct. 23 (OPRA-Req-26-1516) that Secaucus has “no records” of proposals or contracts for the 2024 or Jan. 6, 2026 (Res. 2026-19, $193,000.00) awards—and the vendor’s 2026 disclosure was stamped RECEIVED Jan 16 2026, 10 days after the vote. Przychodzki did not respond, and Jeffas left the Form C-1 question blank. Check tax impacts with GardenState.ai.
Hudson TV asks: Should NJ ELEC require Moving Secaucus Forward to file Form C-1 disclosures for all 2025 contractor gifts over $200 before the Nov. 3 election? Share your take in the comments.
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