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Curley blows his chance for the GOP endorsement for reelection

Disgraced Freeholder John P. Curley

Disgraced Freeholder John Curley will not be on the ballot on Saturday, February 3 when the Monmouth County Republican Committee selects its nominee for the freeholder seat that he currently holds.

Sue Kiley, the Deputy Mayor of Hazlet, is the only candidate for the nomination who submitted a letter of intent on time and with the required number of signatures from County Committee members per the Party By-Laws.

The letters of intent with the required signatures were due in Monmouth County Republican Headquarters on January 20, per the Party By-Laws.  As an incumbent, Curley was required to attach the signatures of 25 County Committee members endorsing his candidacy to his letter.    The disgraced freeholder submitted a letter of intent to run for reelection without any attached signatures.  His letter was dated January 17 and was received on January 22.

GOP Chairman Shaun Golden responded to Curley’s letter on January 25:

Dear Mr. Curley, 

We have received your letter dated 1/17/18. Please be advised that according to the Monmouth County Republican Committee By-Laws, which has been, for years, a public document on the Monmouth County Government website, the deadline submission for letter of intent and petition signatures was January 20th. 

According to Article IV, Section 9 of the Monmouth County Republican Committee By-Laws, “When running for a County seat as an incumbent, endorsements from twenty-five (25) voting members of the County Committee must be attached to a letter of intent.”

Public notice of the convention was provided. Since you did not submit the required petition signatures, you will not be able to stand for nomination at the Monmouth County Republican Committee Convention.

Curley can’t plead ignorance of the By-Laws.  In an email to Golden dated January 26, Curley stated he was aware of his rights under the Party rules:

Dear Chairman Shaun Golden, 

I am reaching out to you in my fourth attempt since my first three have gone unanswered. (1) A certified letter with date of received January 22nd -10:15 am (2) A letter sent ground mail to Republican Headquarters in Colts Neck on January 18th (3) A phone call to Republican Headquarters on January 23rd at 10:19 am. 

I have every intention of running in the upcoming November 2018 election for the Republican Nomination. As provided to me in the past, I am requesting the proper information on the process to participate in the convention held on February 3, 2018 held at I Play America in Freehold, NJ.

I am hoping this is an oversight on your end since as per party by-laws I am well with in my rights. 

I would appreciate an immediate response! 

Sincerely,  

John P. Curley 

As a non-incumbent, Kiley was required to get the endorsement of 40 County Committee members.  She submitted a letter of intent on time with more than enough signatures.

The GOP County Committee will convene on Saturday, February 3, 9 a.m., at iPlayAmerica in Freehold Township.  In addition to nominating a freeholder for a full three year term, the committee will elect a freeholder to fill the vacancy created by Assemblywoman Serena DiMaso’s resignation from the Freeholder Board upon taking office in Trenton.

If he continues to seek reelection to the seat he currently holds, Curley could file to challenge Kiley in the June 5 primary or he could file to run as an Independent candidate.  According to Democrat sources, securing the Democrat nomination is not an option for Curley.

There is another —long shot– way for Curley to salvage his political career.  He could resign from the Freeholder Board and compete at the convention for DiMaso’s seat.

The filling of vacancies is governed by state law–Title 19–not the Party By-Laws.  Theoretically, Curley still has time to get on the ballot to fill the vacancy created by DiMaso’s resignation.

Curley was Censured and Reprimanded by the Board of Chosen Freeholders for sexually harassing County employees and other atrocious behavior on December 8, 2017 following a five month investigation into an employee complaint and his confession to other incidents.  Retired Acting Supreme Court Justice Mary Catherine Cuff conducted the investigation. Cuff is currently investigating new complaints that have been brought forward since she submitted her report last fall.

The disgraced freeholder has sued in federal court to keep Cuff’s report from being released to the public.  The litigation is in its early stages.  Curley has resisted calls from the public to release the report.

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Posted: January 29th, 2018 | Author: | Filed under: John Curley, Monmouth County, Monmouth County Board of Freeholders, Monmouth County News, Monmouth GOP, New Jersey | Tags: , , , , , , , , , | 5 Comments »

5 Comments on “Curley blows his chance for the GOP endorsement for reelection”

  1. Tim H said at 6:36 am on January 29th, 2018:

    Bob Walsh is ready to run and will go for Serena’s seat. He has lined up his Bayshore friends and is going more low-key this time after multiple failed attempts in the past. He hopes Gerry will bypassed as folks are sick of the Middletown strangle-hold on the County. Watch for a 3rd candidate who will be in the race to draw from Gerry and help Bob.

  2. @TimH said at 8:30 am on January 29th, 2018:

    Where will Walsh get his health insurance if he steps down in Howell?

  3. Reality Check said at 9:08 am on January 29th, 2018:

    Tim H – I don’t know what you’re smoking but whatever it is, it isn’t legal – not yet anyway. Do you seriously believe that if you put Bob Walsh and Jerry Scharfenberger side-by-side that anyone would get behind Bob Walsh? Bob is a nice guy but his style is horrendous. And where did you get the crazy idea that the Bayshore would ever support him over Scharfenberger? I met both, they are both good Republicans, but Scharfenberger is in another league all together. We have to put the absolute strongest candidates on the ticket in November. The democrats would make mincemeat of Bob and his Hawaiian shirts

  4. I thought said at 12:45 pm on January 29th, 2018:

    Gerry was getting Serena’s unexpired seat and has to run twice in a row, as she had to, when Rob went to the Assembly, and that Sue is the only one filed for Curley’s three year term??

  5. @I thought said at 1:22 pm on January 29th, 2018:

    You are correct on all counts. Saturday’s convention should be over in 15 minutes since only two people took the time to follow the rules and file a petition. Anyone else who shows up saying otherwise will show a total lack of respect for county committee and the residents of Monmouth County