Sweeney: New Jersey union tried to extort lawmakers

TRENTON, N.J. (AP) — New Jersey's Senate president is accusing the state's largest teacher's union of threatening to withhold political contributions in exchange for a vote on requiring quarterly pension payments.

Democrat Steve Sweeney on Wednesday said that leaders of the New Jersey Education Association called Democratic county chairmen and threatened to withhold political contributions unless the Senate passes a proposed amendment ramping up pension payments by the state.