TOMS RIVER, NJ – A new filing by the New Jersey Election Law Enforcement Commission should show that approximately $5,500 has been removed from a campaign fund for Ocean County Sheriff Michael Mastronardy and placed into an account for Bill Spadea, a former radio host running for governor.
This is according to multiple sources within the Ocean County Republican Organization.
The fund transfer, according to insiders associated within the Ocean County Republican Organization, was done without Mastronardy’s prior knowledge or approval.
Ocean County GOP Chairman George Gilmore, a convicted felon, sentenced to prison by the Department of Justice for failing to pay employment taxes and lying on a mortgage application, also serves as a top-paid campaign consultant for Spadea.
Gilmore, who was pardoned by President Donald Trump on his last day in office in 2021, moved the funds in order to help Spadea maximize matching public funds from taxpayers.
So far, Spadea’s campaign has received $1,535,597 in publicly funded taxpayer dollars for his campaign. The state pays all candidates $2 for every $1 the campaign receives from private contributors, meaning Gilmore’s campaign raid will net Spadea approximately $11,600 in extra taxpayer funds, but Mastronardy’s campaign will lose $5,800 needed to manage his own campaign.
Gilmore refuted these claims, saying, “Sheriff Mastronardy absolutely approved the donation to the Spadea campaign.”
Spadea’s fundraising has been lackluster, and the last minute push from the Seaside Park fundraiser fell short. Gilmore, once a campaign fundraising powerhouse in New Jersey, has been unable to raise the amount of money needed by Spadea to run an effective campaign.
In a desperate move before Tuesday’s New Jersey Election Law Enforcement Commission deadline, Gilmore allegedly raided the funds of downballot candidates, include Sheriff Mastronardy in order to try to get Spadea to the threshold on his next quarterly report.
Each month, Spadea pays Gilmore $5,000 from his campaign. Essentially, Gilmore’s deposit into Spadea’s account will mostly go into his own personal bank account.
This weekend, Gilmore hosted a $5,800 per-seat photo-op with Spadea and General Mike Flynn, a former Trump advisor who was forced to resign just three weeks into the president’s first term. Roughly 50 people showed up for that event, mostly filled with comped party insiders, failing to get Spadea over the threshold required to receive matching funds.
The event has been largely mocked in New Jersey GOP circles statewide.
Ironically, $5,800 is the maximum allowable donation to candidates in the New Jersey governor’s election.
According to sources, Mastronardy did not publicly comment on the funds being removed, but has expressed shock and disbelief in Gilmore’s actions.
Spadea has also taken fire for receiving $250,000 in campaign cash through an LLC called BillSpadea.Com LLC. Spadea contends no wrong-doing in that self-payment from his non-profit, saying the money was owed to him for services rendered during his campaign, prior to announcing his candidacy.
Still, many view the move as distasteful, as the former radio host solicited funds in the name of down-ballot Republican candidates, but funneled the money to his own business.
