Clean Government
No Vendor Money. Period.
Mussab Ali pledges to not take any money from city vendors. Our government should answer to residents—not contractors.
The Pledge
Our campaign rejects contributions from any city vendor with a contract in the past two years.
- Who’s covered: Professional service providers (legal, consulting, banking, insurance) with City contracts in the last two years.
- Also covered: Vendors paid for “extraordinary unspecified services” (PR, lobbying, parking/other management, consulting) in the last two years.
- Look-back: Two years from the date of any contribution.
- If a prohibited donation appears: We’ll decline and return it immediately.
Why It Matters
Pay-to-play skews decisions toward donors, not data. Drawing a bright line keeps priorities clear and restores confidence that every contract is earned on merit.
As Mayor, Mussab will:
- Require clear, public, competitive bidding for all vendor selections.
- Publish award criteria, scoring sheets, and performance reports for every major contract.
- Stand up a real-time City Checkbook showing every dollar spent.
- Create meaningful barriers to pay-to-play practices within the law and debar violators.
Common Questions
What counts as a “vendor”?
Any individual or firm with a City of Jersey City contract in the past two years, including professional services and vendors paid for “extraordinary unspecified services.”
Why not allow small contributions from vendor employees?
Even small checks can create the appearance of influence. A bright-line rule is simpler, fairer, and easier to enforce.
What happens if a prohibited donation is made?
We won’t accept it. If one is received, it’s returned immediately and recorded in our public compliance log.
How is this enforced and reported?
We screen every contribution against vendor lists, maintain a 2-year look-back, and publish a monthly summary of declined/returned donations.
I, Mussab Ali, pledge to refuse contributions from city vendors and to uphold the highest ethical standards in public office.