Governor Christie Nominates Javerbaum Wurgaft’s Marguerite Simon to ELEC
By JW Law
New Jersey Governor Chris Christie, at the request of Senator Loretta Weinberg, nominated Judge Marguerite Simon (Ret.) of Javerbaum Wurgaft to the board of the New Jersey Election Law Enforcement Commission (ELEC). Simon (D), formerly Presiding Judge of the Chancery Division in Bergen County, is currently Counsel to Javerbaum Wurgaft Hicks Kahn Wikstrom & Sinins in Springfield where she practices alternative dispute resolution.
Simon was nominated by Governor Christie on February 27 to the board of ELEC, an independent State Agency charged with a critical mission of policing campaign finance, lobbying, and pay-to-play issues across the State. The State Senate Judiciary Committee is scheduled to meet later this month on her nomination to become ELEC Commissioner. If approved, she will join ELEC Chairman Ronald DeFilippis (R), Eric Jaso (R), a former Federal prosecutor, and Stephen Holden (D), a retired State Superior Court Judge from Camden County, restoring the Commission’s traditional partisan balance of two Democrats and two Republicans.
Her appointment to the board will help restore the election regulator to its full power for first time since 2011. For the past year, the Board was unable to convene due to vacancies. While the agency continued to investigate the disclosure laws, the lack of a requisite quorum prevented the Commission from holding hearings and delivering swift justice to offenders. With the appointment of Jaso and Holden, the Board recently resumed work. Simon now hopes to help fast-track the proceedings.
“I am sincerely honored to have been nominated to the board. I look forward to working with other board members of the ELEC,” said Simon.
Her nomination comes just in time for the rapidly approaching election for Governor, and the Legislative Assembly, the big-money elections under state control.