The $3,000 question has been answered Millstone officials have it out over questioned envelope of money BY JANE MEGGITT Staff Writer MILLSTONE- An argument between Committeeman Elias Abilheira and township Republican County Executive Committee Chairman Steven Lambros started during the public portion of the latest Township Committee meeting and continued in the hallway after the meeting adjourned. With raised voices, each man accused the other of being a liar. During the argument in the municipal building Jan. 16, Abilheira brought up the issue of Mayor Nancy Grbelja receiving an envelope containing $3,000 cash prior to her 2006 re-election. Abilheira also ran on the Republican ticket for re-election that year. Lambros said Deputy Mayor Bob Kinsey, also a Republican, gave the money to Grbelja, which Kinsey confirmed. Lambros toldAbilheira that Kinsey did not want to contribute to Abilheira's campaign that year. Lambros further alleged that no one wanted to contribute to Abilheira's campaign at that time. "Not a dime," he said. Lambros said that after he told Kinsey that the RCEC could not accept cash contributions, he returned the money to Kinsey, who later wrote a check. "Bob Kinsey did not know [cash was unacceptable]," Lambros said. "It was done innocently." Kinsey confirmed Lambros' statement and said that his $3,000 contribution appears on Election Law Enforcement Commission (ELEC) records. According to ELEC reports, Lambros certified Jan. 1, 2007, that Kinsey contributed $3,000 to the RCEC on Oct. 19, 2006, and that Grbelja also contributed $1,000 to the RCEC that day. Abilheira alleged that no chairman or elected official would consider it legal to give or take $3,000 in cash. Grbelja said that Abilheira had not attended any of the RCEC campaign meetings that year. Abilheira said that his wife, Mariola, and his sister, Brenda Tannenbaum, who are both RCEC members, attended the campaign meetings that year. Lambros said that about 15 people on the RCEC regularly attended campaign meetings that year "but never Elias." He said that Tannenbaumhad once confronted him about the contribution to Grbelja and he told her what had happened. Lambros alleged that Abilheira has known all along that Kinsey gave Grbelja the money but has continued to make insinuations regarding the nature of the contribution. Lambros told Abilheira that he is very sorry for ever having supported himfor the governing body. Abilheira said, "I don'twant to be associated with you," adding that he has "always dreaded being involved in dirty politics." During the argument,Abilheira did not deny Lambros' version of events, other than to state that RCEC and township officials should have known about the legality of cash contributions.