Vindication: Office Of Legislative Services Restores Cancelled Account Of Critic
We Still Don’t Know Who Was Responsible And Why They Acted
We Were Vindicated Despite The Silence Of The Unprincipled Trenton Lambs
Curiously – with the same Kafkaesque lack of any notice or explanation – the NJ Office of Legislative Services (OLS) restored me to the distribution list of Agendas and Committee hearing notices of the Senate Environment Committee.
We were cancelled by some unknown legislator or OLS manager, see: (NJ Globe)
An environmental watchdog and whistleblower has been removed from a public agenda distribution list by the non-partisan Office of Legislative Services that has sidestepped efforts to explain their decision for two days.
William Wolfe said he found out yesterday that he would no longer receive notices from the Senate Environment and Energy Committee in an email from Eric Hansen, the OLS senior research analyst who staffs the committee.
“You were removed from all the legislature’s distribution lists, I believe,” Hansen told Wolfe. “The order came from above, and I’m not sure who originated it.”
Senate Environment Committee Chairman Bob Smith (photo: Bill Wolfe)
I initially suspected Chairman Bob Smith:
I’ve been a thorn in Smith’s side and called out his games many times, so I suspect that a recent embarrassing criticism was the straw that broke Smith (or Horowitz’) back – see this post for why:
Prior to the restoration, on March 3, I called the Office of OLS Executive Director Michael Feld.
I left a detailed message with his Assistant. I explained the situation, requested to be restored and specifically asked him to consider why he would allow his entire Office to suffer reputational harm and the appearance of partisan behavior and petty, vindictive retaliation.
(OLS was established by law to be professional and non-partisan)
So, perhaps Mr. Feld of OLS did the right thing.
Also on March 3, I again wrote to Chairman Smith, this time with a copy to Senate President Scutari – I included the Wildstein Globe story, see:
———- Original Message ———-
From: Bill WOLFE <>
To: senbsmith <SenBSmith@njleg.org>, sengreenstein <sengreenstein@njleg.org>, “kduhon@njleg.org” <kduhon@njleg.org>, “senscutari@njleg.org” <senscutari@njleg.org>
Cc: “david@njglobe.com” <david@njglobe.com>
Date: 03/03/2023 3:31 PM
Subject: OLS Seeks To ‘Silence A Political Critic’ By Removin g Him From Agenda Distribution List, Activist Claims
Chairman Smith – this is not a good look nor a good deed.
OLS’ Judy Horowitz has not returned my calls, nor have President Scutari’s and Chairman Smith’s staff.
It is easily resolved by simply putting me back on the distribution list.
OLS Seeks To ‘Silence A Political Critic’ By Removing Him From Agenda Distribution List, Activist Claims
Thank you for your prompt and favorable consideration.
Bill Wolfe
Shortly thereafter, on March 7, I was restored and received the Committee’s Agenda for March 9.
I immediately sprang back into action with this embarrassing criticism and victory – the bill was held (which is very likely why I was removed from the distribution list in the first place!):
We thank David Wildstein of the NJ Globe, who ironically was the only reporter with the spine and balls to write the story.
Of course, not one of the unprincipled cowards in the NJ environmental community – my former colleagues – reached out to support me in any way.
It seems that this kind of gross abuse of power goes completely unchallenged among the Trenton crowd.
Solidarity forever, man! hahahahaha!