TOMS RIVER-Maurice “Mo” Hill, according to records obtained from the New Jersey Election Commission has raised and spent more than 7 times the amount raised and spent by his opponent Jonathan Petro so far in this year’s Toms River mayoral election.
Petro was able to raise just $16,720 compared to Hill’s $98,000. Hill also spent as much as $150,000 during his June Republican primary election.
The bulk of Petro’s campaign contributions came from his running mates. Michelle Williams’ campaign account donated $4,600. Karin Sage’s campaign gave Petro’s campaign $3,700 and Drew Boyle paid $4,050 to the campaign.
Petro’s campaign also was given a $2,250 in-kind donations from Community Mall Associates, a commercial rental company based in Toms River. Petro’s filing was void of donations from professional services and political action committees (PAC).
Hill raised $18,000 through fundraisers in the amount of $18,114, but the bulk of his campaign donations, $78,539.70 came from large campaign donations from professionals and political action committees.
Hill spent $84,703.30 of that total fundraising to date.
Large donations to Hill came from the following entities:
Luigi Bove, former owner of the La Bove Grande, which held many GOP fundraisers during its time gave Hill $1,000.
Brady & Kunz P.C, formerly Coronato, Brady & Kunz, a GOP pay to play firm, employed by Hill and the Township of Toms River gave $1,500. That firm earned $47,000 in professional service contracts with the township in 2018.
Abram Covella of the ReMax Revolution real estate agency donated $1,439.70.
New Jersey Assemblyman Gregory McGuckin and GOP establishment deal maker Jerry Dasti’s firm donated $1,100. That firm earned $174,112.50, from the Township of Toms River for legal services in 2018 and $113,242.50 from the Ocean County Board of Social Services. The firm also earns $64,660.95 annually through a contract with the Ocean County Surrogate’s Office, according to New Jersey’s pay to play records on file with NJ ELEC.
Paula DeJohn, owner of the Silverton Memorial Funeral Home in Toms River donated $2,500.
The law firm of DiFrancesco, Bateman, Kuzman, Davis, Lehrer & Flaum P.C., of Warren Township in North Jersey, donated $1,500.
Lakewood State Senator Robert Singer gave Hill $500.
The Trenton powerbroker firm Gluck Walrath, LLP donated $1,800 to Hill.
The politically connected firm of French & Parelo out of Trenton donated $1,500. That firm earns over $8.2 million annually through pay to play contracts, according to the State of New Jersey, including more than $79,000 from Ocean County.
Glendenning Corporation gave Hill’s campaign $500.
Toms River land developer and restauranteur Jeremy Grunin and his wife Linda donated an additional $5,000 to Hill’s campaign, in addition to their $5,200 donation during the primary election.
State Senator Holzapfel chipped in $2,900 to the Hill effort.
Honda of Toms River, manufacturer of the popular Honda Oddysey vehicles donated $2,500 to Hill.
By request of Chairman Frank Holman, the Jackson Republican Club, who is without an election this year ponied up $2,500 to Hill.
Zev Lesser, of Riverlake Holdings LLC, Lakewood gave Hill $2,600.
Toms River Real Estate Agent Michael Little of Keller Williams donated $2,500.
Former Congressman Tom MacArthur donated $1,000.
Maser Consulting, a design and engineering firm out of Red Bank donated $2,250.
The Michael J. Write Construction Co, a Toms River based firm on Robbins Street donated $1,000.
Beachwood Engineering Firm Owen Little & Associates donated $2,600.
Hill was even able to garner the support a construction trade union, receiving $1,000 from Plumbers and Pipefitters Local 9 out of Englishtown.
New Home Builder Prima Homes donated $1,000.
Remington and Vernick Engineers, who serve as the Lakewood Township Engineer donated $2,600.
Rosetto Realty Inc. donated $1,000.
The Lakewood based law firm of Rothstein, Mandell, Stohm and Halm gave Hill $1,000.
Frank Sadeghi, owner of Morgan Engineering in Island Heights donated $1,000.
Al Schwartz of Toms River donated $500.
Suez Water Co, the company that provides water to the township donated $500.
T&M, a firm, according to New Jersey’s Pay to Play database earns over $33 million annually in public contracts donated $2,300. That firm earns nearly $2 million annually in public contracts from Ocean County and Toms River Township alone.
Brian Wible, of Hunter Realty Partners LLC based out of Butler, PA donated $1,000.
Toms River Councilman George Wittman gave Hill a $2,000 donation.
On the spending side, Hill paid Patch Media, operators of the former AOL Patch hyperlocal blog site, run by Karen Wall in Toms River $4,000 for services, including a political hit job on Shore News Network. Wall is still slated to host a candidate debate between Hill and Petro.
Hill spent over $15,000 on robocalls and polling with TOTO DODO INC of Toms River.
Hill’s biggest expense was a payment to Art Gallagher, in the Amount of 58,736.64. Gallagher made headlines after he was arrested several years ago on charges of theft and fraud. He spent several weeks in jail.