Campaign finance watchdog taps top lawyer to helm agency

Amanda Haines succeeds former director Jeff Brindle, who retired last October after a spat with the governor’s office. (Photo by Mary Iuvone for the New Jersey Monitor)

The New Jersey Election Law Enforcement Commission has appointed Amanda Haines, its acting legal director, to head the campaign finance watchdog months after the retirement of its longtime executive director.

Haines, who joined the commission in 2005 as assistant legal counsel, will be the first woman to head the commission in its 51-year history.

“Amanda Haines has dedicated 19 years to fulfilling the mission of the ELEC and we are pleased to advance her to this pinnacle role at the Agency,” said Thomas Prol, the commission’s chairman. “Her credentials are impeccable, and her service has seen the organization through several significant milestone events and numerous changes.”

Haines succeeds Jeff Brindle, who retired last October after a spat with the governor’s office when it sought to oust him over an email the administration believed was discriminatory . Deputy Executive Director Joe Donohue has served as interim executive director since Brindle’s retirement.

Haines took helm of the agency on May 4. She is the sixth person to lead the commission’s daily operations since its creation in 1973.

“With Executive Director Haines at the helm, New Jersey voters can be confident that ELEC will continue to fulfill its transparency mandate and will vigorously monitor and enforce campaign financing laws with an eye toward protecting and lifting up vulnerable and historically disenfranchised communities,” Prol said.

The New Jersey Globe earlier reported Haines’ appointment.

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