The ‘transparency guru’ of New Jersey
Methodically, he lets fly a barrage of e-mails to pry loose confidential documents that local governments and
Disciplinary reports of rogue cops. Dashboard footage of traffic stops. Ethics violations filed against lawyers. Health benefits that part-time officials quietly give themselves.
As chair of the
"I try to hold a mirror up" to what government is doing, said Paff, who's been at it 20 years. "People are kept in the dark."
The retired businessman has become a transparency guru. When officials deny him access to records, he cites laws. If that fails, he sues. One case he initiated led to a 2010
The agreements don't admit wrongdoing, but Paff says the public is entitled to know how much government entities pay to avoid embarrassment at trial or to save on legal costs.
"I like to give a true picture of what government is doing. . . . I can effect change doing this," Paff, 57, said during an interview in the modest rancher in
Last year, Paff was inducted into the National Freedom of
"In
Paff, a volunteer firefighter and president of the
Two years ago,
Paff said he was shocked because he had not asked for names. Instead, he requested details about the retirement pensions paid to the association's executives. "An organization that collects tax money should be publicly accountable," he said on his blog, NJ Open Government Notes.
A court ordered the records released.
Paff's victories don't bring him money -- just the records he seeks. Often, the lawyers who file complaints for him are awarded legal fees from towns that balk at providing documents.
Paff's son admires his father. "A lot of people will not do what he does. A lot are afraid,"
Some town clerks and police chiefs dislike Paff, saying he is intrusive.
Last year, when
The documents revealed the town's part-time committee members were receiving benefits, a practice many towns have eliminated to cut their budgets. The town also had to pay Paff's
At a January town meeting, Mayor
Paff defended himself on his blog, saying he never contended the health payment was illegal. He linked to his lawsuit as proof. He said his purpose was to hold the officials accountable to taxpayers.
Often, Paff seeks records based on tips from the public. Other times, government actions arouse his curiosity. He does not care which party controls the entity, he said.
Paff also reports the names of lawyers who were disciplined for ethics violations or for misusing clients' money. He said reports from the
Now, he is focusing on the internal affairs reports of police officers who cross the line.
"The disciplinary process should be more transparent, especially with what is going on in
After graduating from
Paff joined the
But Paff said he had no political ambitions and preferred to spend his time exposing the inner workings of local government.
"Often, the same people run [for office] in these little towns, and they run the government like a family business and have an attitude. . . . People who live there are intimidated," Paff said. As an outsider, he says it is easier for him to ask a lot of questions and demand answers.
Putting a headset on when the phone rings in his basement office, Paff eagerly listens to people who call with stories of how they have been unfairly treated or how their questions have been ignored. He devises a plan to get at the truth.
Then Paff checks his in-box. Maybe new documents have arrived that hold pieces to another puzzle in another town.
856-779-3224 @JanHefler
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