New Jersey: House Leaders, Reality Star Donate to Bill Pascrell
Two members of House Democratic leadership have donated to Rep. Bill Pascrell in his Member-vs.-Member fight against fellow New Jersey Rep. Steven Rothman.
Assistant Minority Leader James Clyburn (S.C.) and Democratic Caucus Chairman John Larson (Conn.) have sent checks to Pascrell, although one of the donations was much more recent than the other.
Clyburn donated a total of $7,000 through his PAC and campaign committee Friday, according to Pascrell’s latest 48-hour fundraising report. Larson’s campaign committee donated $2,000 Dec. 31, just days after it became clear that a Member-vs.-Member race was shaping up between the two men.
Rothman, like Pascrell, was first elected to Congress in 1996. His fundraising reports do not seem to show any recent contributions from fellow Members. The winner of the June 5 primary is all but guaranteed to return to Congress next year in the safe Democratic 9th district.
Another notable donor to Pascrell did not come from Capitol Hill, but rather from the world of reality TV.
Albert Manzo, husband of “The Real Housewives of New Jersey” cast member Caroline Manzo, gave $2,500 to the Pascrell campaign in late March.
According to PolitickerNJ, Manzo lives in Franklin Lakes, which is not in the 9th district. But his banquet hall, the Brownstone, is in Pascrell’s hometown of Paterson and is a frequent venue for Pascrell events.
Manzo is active in local politics and locked horns with Gov. Chris Christie (R) in 2011.