Candidates: Gubernatorial front-runner violated campaign law

TRENTON, N.J. (AP) — The wealthy front-runner in the state's Democratic primary for governor should be punished for setting up political groups before officially entering the contest, two of his rivals said Thursday, with one of them citing emails stolen from Hillary Clinton's presidential campaign chairman as proof of a campaign law violation.

Jim Johnson filed a complaint Thursday with the Election Law Enforcement Commission against Phil Murphy, saying Murphy viewed the political groups as a way of getting a head start on his campaign without the close scrutiny that comes with declaring a gubernatorial run so early.

Fellow Democratic underdog Assemblyman John Wisniewski, meanwhile, cited an email from Murphy to John Podesta — and released by WikiLeaks — in which the former Goldman Sachs executive and one-time finance chairman for the Democratic National Committee said he was likely to set up a nonprofit to build "visibility, credentials, etc." ahead of a possible run for governor.

The penalty, if the commission decides to investigate and finds a violation, is a fine of up to $8,600, according to state election officials.

Johnson, a former treasury official in President Bill Clinton's administration, has trailed in the single digits but has qualified for matching funds, having received nearly $900,000 so far, according to election records.