The New Jersey Election Law Enforcement Commission on Friday agreed to monitor Townsquare Media‘s star radio host at its WKXW “New Jersey 101.5” in Trenton, N.J., with respect to whether or not Bill Spadea would violate campaign finance regulations in the Garden State by staying on the air.
Spadea, who hosts the station’s morning show, announced on June 17 that he intends to run for governor as a Republican candidate seeking to take the position from Phil Murphy, who cannot run again due to term limits.
Townsquare Media representatives were at the meeting, as were opponents and Spadea’s legal team, NorthJersey.com reports. After a closed-door discussion lasting an hour, the Commission concluded that Spadea is a bona fide candidate for governor and that his candidacy will benefit from being on the air at WKXW.
For Commission head Thomas Prol, safeguards Townsquare Media has put in place limiting Spadea’s ability to campaign while on the air aren’t enough. That said, the commission agred to review matters until a “bona fide complaint” should arise.
At issue: Does Spadea’s radio show provide him with a financial benefit as he campaigns for governor of New Jersey? This saw the commission consider if it was a violation of a $5,800 limit of what WKXW can provide in terms of in-kind donations, or donations that aren’t money, NorthJersey.com explained.
“The mere presence of a candidate does not transform a communication into a ‘political communication contribution.’ It must include an explicit appeal for the election or defeat of a candidate,” Spadea’s attorneys argued.
