NJ ELEC May Intervene in Freeholder Race

The New Jersey Election Law Enforcement Commission will get to have its say in the legal battle between Margaret Nordstrom and William "Hank" Lyon for the Republican nomination for Morris County Freeholder, the commission said Wednesday.

ELEC executive director Jeff Brindle said the commission learned Wednesday morning the State Appellate Division granted its motion to intervene. The commission filed the motion last week because, according to Brindle, "no election has ever been overturned because of a 48-hour filing violation," as happened in the case.

Brindle said the commission is intervening in the case to protect its legal domain, not to take sides.

"We're delighted that the court is allowing us to intervene," Brindle said.

On Sept. 19, the county's Republican Committee as its candidate.

The special election occurred only because a judge had just by a razor-thin margin. The judge ruled a campaign donation reporting violation and testimony about voter fraud in Parsippany made the election results invalid.

Last week, ELEC , saying the court did not have the authority to impose such a penalty for a filing violation that occurs regularly in New Jersey elections and that setting such a precedent could jeapordize ELEC's ability to enforce campaign finance laws.