New Jersey Lawmakers Hide Their Second Homes Thanks to Dubious New Legislation

In what can only be described as a stroke of genius, New Jersey lawmakers have passed a resolution that allows them to keep their second homes a secret from the public. Thanks to this brilliant move, residents of the Garden State can rest easy knowing that their lawmakers’ shady dealings are hidden from plain sight.

A recent resolution, sponsored by Assemblyman Craig J. Coughlin, Assemblyman John DiMaio, Assemblyman Reginald W. Atkins, Senator Nicholas P. Scutari, and Senator Nellie Pou, and co-sponsored by Assemblywomen Dunn and McKnight, passed by the New Jersey Senate and Assembly allows lawmakers to avoid disclosing their home addresses and real property holdings on financial disclosure forms. But that’s not all. The resolution even allows lawmakers to avoid disclosing what town they live in, unless they’re renting out their property.

But wait, there’s more! If lawmakers own a second home, they don’t even have to disclose it unless they rent it out. Who needs transparency when you can just keep your assets hidden from public view? It’s almost like they’re playing a game of hide-and-seek with their constituents.

According to Politico.com, even attorney and transparency advocate C.J. Griffin was shocked by the new legislation. “It’s a basic thing that we should be able to know how many assets our elected officials have and how those assets change over the years,” Griffin said. But hey, who needs basic things like transparency and accountability when you can just keep your secrets hidden away?

So, the next time you see your lawmaker at a fancy beach house, just remember that they’re probably not telling you about it. And if you want to know for sure, good luck scouring through property records. Because in New Jersey, the game of hide-and-seek never ends.