From the Star-Ledger, January 23, 2012:

Essex County Executive Joe DiVincenzo Sunday said he will amend his campaign finance reports to specifically disclose how he has spent money donated to his campaigns over the past several years.

While DiVincenzo’s attorney defends the politician’s use of campaign funds to pay for things like “more than 100 meals, 28 golf games and airfare for a planned trip to Puerto Rico,” as the Ledger reports, NJPP president Deborah Howlett wonders if some of the expenditures crossed the line.

“There are legitimate meal expenses and those sorts of things for a campaign, but a campaign account is not just carte blanche,” she says. “There doesn’t seem to be a reason that someone running for executive of Essex County or any other office to have to put plane tickets to Puerto Rico on an expense account.”