Donors to Newark Mayor’s Charity Reap City Contracts

While Newark, N.J. Mayor Cory Booker has made a priority of ending favorable treatment for political contributors, donors to a nonprofit group he founded before taking office have received millions in city contracts, writes The Star-Ledger.

Nine contractors who donated a combined $19,500 last year for a golf event benefiting Newark Now have since received $21.5-million in city business, according to the newspaper.

The organization, which Mr. Booker started in 2003, helps match city residents with government services such as mentors for fathers and financial consulting. From 2005, the year before he took office, to 2008 its donations increased more than ten-fold, from $310,356 to $3.2-million.

Under state law and city guidelines imposed by Mr. Booker’s administration, entities that contribute to Newark political campaigns are barred for a year from receiving city contracts.

The mayor said that no one at City Hall has a role in raising money for Newark Now and that “neither I nor anyone in my administration, to my knowledge, knows that these donations were made or who made them.”