TRENTON — A Democratic political operative has asked the state Legislature's ethics committee to investigate state Sen. Anthony R. Bucco, saying he sponsored legislation to close the Fenimore Landfill in Roxbury that helped his son — an Assemblyman and attorney for the town.

Michael Muller — who is coordinating the Democratic campaigns for state Senate and Assembly — said Bucco’s (R-Morris) sponsorship of the legislation is a conflict because his son, Assemblyman Anthony M. Bucco (R-Morris) “has represented the municipality in court proceedings to have the Fenimore Landfill closed, even after the narrowly tailored legislation relating to the landfill was introduced.”

“The Legislative Code of Ethics explicitly speaks against any such efforts by legislators that even create the appearance of impropriety,” Muller wrote to the Joint Legislative Committee on Ethical Standards. “One can infer that Senator Bucco agreed to sponsor the Senate legislation to directly assist his son's efforts as Roxbury Township Municipal Attorney in this case — the outcome of which could also be inferred to have a direct impact on Assemblyman Bucco's firm's continued representation of the Township and on Assemblyman Bucco's income and business interests.”

The bill (S2490) Bucco first introduced did not go anywwere in the Legislature. Instead, Sen. Bucco signed on as a co-prime sponsor to a broader bill (S2861) to close “legacy landfills” that ceased operations before 1982 and pose an environmental risk — including Fenimore. The Legislature passed the bill in June (Assemblyman Bucco abstained) and it was promptly signed by Gov. Chris Christie. The DEP then seized control of the troubled landfill, seeking to control odors from hydrogen sulfide emissions that have plagued local residents.

But Muller said “it appears that Sen. Bucco sponsored and advocated for legislation on behalf of his son’s client.”

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“To be fair, Fenimore Landfill did pose a clear and present danger to the residents of Roxbury Township, but that should not excuse the appearance of collusion between both Senator Bucco and his son to achieve an outcome legislatively that Assemblyman Bucco could not achieve solely through his position as municipal attorney,” Muller wrote.

Sen. Bucco said he never conferred with his son about the original legislation he introduced. He siad the landfill’s odor had plagued the town and he was responding to the concerns of his constituents.

“I got hundreds of phone calls and into my office for people living in that area of that last bill asking for help,” he said. “Isn’t that what I was elected to do- to help the people of my district?”

Assemblyman Bucco – who is paid $140 per hour by Roxbury Township – said discussed the situation with his ethics attorney, who advised him that “as long as I stayed out of it she felt it was fine.”

Assemblyman Bucco abstained on the legislation that ultimately passed.