Vin Gopal Threatens Legal Action Against MoreMonmouthMusings
Monmouth County Democratic Chairman Vin Gopal, not Devender Singh
Monmouth County Democratic Chairman Vin Gopal has threatened the owner of this website, Gallco Media, LLC, with “all legal remedies under law” unless the post, Feds Charge Indian National With Abusive Sexual Contact, is removed from the site. Gopal’s attorney, D. Sam Han, Esq. of Sobel Han, LLP of Englewood Cliffs, further demands that an apology and retraction be posted that clearly denotes the improper usage of Gopal’s picture on this site. The photo in question is posted to the left. Han’s letter can be viewed here.
On behalf of Gallco Media, I consulted with two attorneys to find out what these “legal remedies under law” might be. Both said there aren’t any and that Gopal does not have an actionable claim. Bring it on, Han. Play it again, Sam. You’re not gonna win, Vin.
We really must have gotten under Gopal’s skin. He didn’t threaten legal action against the campaign of Assemblywomen Caroline Casagrande and Mary Pat Angelini in the the 2011 legislative race when they sent the now infamous Joe Vas mailer out against Gopal who was running against them at the time. The mailer was widely criticized in the media and even by many Republicans at the time. MMM didn’t write about the mailer in 2011 because I was in jail on ginned up charges when the controversy broke. I’m particularly sensitive to the consequences of exaggerated allegations made in the media.
Gopal’s gotten a small taste of his own medicine. We hope he’ll alter his conduct, and lead members of party to do the same. It’s not looking too good, so far, but that is what we’re after in our “Monmouth County Republican Chairman John Bennett did not issue a statement…” posts and our posts calling Gopal on his duplicity.
Since Gopal falsely accused a Republican candidate for Red Bank council of being a fugitive last October, I’ve been trying to get him to understand the consequences of 
his reckless actions. From the moment I received his press release with the false allegations….before I fact checked it and proved the allegations were false…I asked Gopal, “Are you sure you want to go there? The Republicans have lots of dirt on your county and Red Bank candidates.” “Go for it,” he exclaimed, “if you have it use it!” I was surprised and disappointed that he wanted the county race and his most competitive municipal race to devolve into mudslinging.
After MMM debunked Gopal’s false allegations and pressured other media outlets fact check the story, thereby altering their reporting, Gopal stopped returning phone calls. I’ve called him numerous times since October.
Since he’s been Democratic Chairman, Gopal has repeatedly and baselessly accused “Monmouth County Republicans” and Freeholder Director Lillian Burry in particular of “corruption” due to the bad acts and alleged bad acts of individuals who were exposed and/or prosecuted by Republicans. Gopal’s Monmouth County Democratic Party has not made one concrete proposal to improve government policy or the quality of life in Monmouth County on any level. Every one of his campaigns has been based upon character assassination of Republicans, most of whom committed no bad acts of their own.
In his letter, Han says MMM has a pattern of actual malice and that we’ve damaged Gopal’s reputation. Han said that “a reasonable person of ordinary intelligence” could have been led to believe that MMM was implying that Gopal had been charged with abusive sexual contact, even though the caption on the photo clearly indicated that Gopal was not the defendant. Obviously, Han is unaware that MMM readers are not people “of ordinary intelligence.” Those people read publications that buy Gopal’s press releases hook line and sinker without fact checking.
Han said that our conduct was “unreasonable even from the minimum standard of investigation and reporting attributed to similar blogs.” There are no other blogs like MMM.
MMM does not have malice towards Gopal, actual or imagined. We do deplore his actions, and those of his cronies, of character assassination that are ongoing. In his fundraising email last weekend, Gopal’s handpicked freeholder candidate, Joe Grillo, smeared Burry again for the actions of former Manalapan Mayor Andrew Lucas and former Brookdale President Peter Burnham. There is no basis for the smears. Not only that, the smears are bad politics, having failed to persuade Monmouth County voters to elect Democrats in the last four elections.
MMM and Gallco Media, LLC reject Gopal and Han’s demands. But that doesn’t mean we have “no intention of resolving this matter without the need for litigation.”
We have a counter-offer. If Gopal issues apologies to Sean DiSomma, Lillian Burry, Serena DiMaso and “the Monmouth Republicans,” and promises to end his campaigns of character assassination, MMM will remove Gopal’s picture from the post in question and buy him dinner.
If Gopal continues his conduct of character assassination and duplicity we’ll keep on him. If he pursues litigation in a futile attempt to silence us, we’ll do man and woman on the street interviews to see if his reputation really has been damaged. We’ll always be factual. It will be great fun and provide great content, if Gopal chooses to go that way.
More from my site
Monmouth Democrats Are Off And Running
Monmouth GOP May Face Tougher Election Than Expected
Predictions: 2015
Monmouth Dems mimick Pallone’s squinting
Booker coming to Wall Township to raise funds for Monmouth Dems
Report: Gopal Considering Another Run For Assembly
Walsh To Challenge Freeholder Incumbents
Meanwhile at the Monmouth Democratic Convention….
Golden, Arnone and DiMaso Annnounce Re-election Bid- Insiders: Monmouth Dems will only compete in LD 11 this year
I guess Vin Gopal didn’t read the entire original post nor did his lawyers. The context of the original MMM post was blatantly ridiculous and sarcastic. No one would have mistaken Vin Gopal for the cretan mentioned in the article.
Art Gallagher believes responsible journalism is furthered by intimidation. One more disqualification in a long list. Art, go back to the day job…blogging is not for you.
@ J. Mason and others of the same mindset
The best defense is a strong offense, and that of calling Vin Gopal on the carpet, repeatedly and in a manner to increase the pressure on him to cease and desist is exactly what is needed at this point less the upcoming campaign become a mud pit.
Mr. Gopal, if you want to campaign in the arena of issues and ideas with facts, that is fine.
But purposely distorting, smearing and lying your way to an election is not what the voters want. However, based on your tenure as the Chairman of the Monmouth Democrats, that seems to be all you’ve got.
It seems like Mr. Gopal can’t handle heat in the kitchen.
We’ll Mr. Gopal, you brought it on yourself, so maybe you ought to get out of your own, self created kitchen.
JCG
What kind of statement is: “Monmouth County GOP Chairman John Bennett did not issue a statement accusing his Democratic counterpart, Vin Gopal, of being a sexual predator because he is of Indian descent.”
Is this reporting or what?
This is why people are fed up with politics including myself. Vin and Art squabbling like teenagers. Pretty sad stuff here. Until we do away with the left/right bullshit this country is doomed.
Very negative campaigning and personal character assassination WORKS.. It’s the cheap way out, and, for the low-info, alarmist- types, will definitely get them some votes, it’s just a matter of how many to make any difference.. Last year, not so much, this year, they know with a lesser turnout and, sorry, at least two second- tier, unknowns on the ballot, this is their big shot to steal an office or two they have neither earned, nor deserve.. But, that’s the lib/ Dem mentality, for the most part, and is the nature of the business these days- the way the media inflames and repeats everything spewed, as though it is gospel truth, only the intelligent voters who ask,and read,and pay attention,are actually informed voters who know whom really has done/ will do the better job with their tax dollars.. The worse the jobs and economic situations get, the more drastic and desperate the campaigns and hence, the results will be.. Rough year ahead, by any stretch!..
PLEASE tell me that Vin used Demo County money and/or it’s possible to OPRA, or “demand for discovery”, all documents and email communications between Gopal and Han; probably limitless crooked discussions and accusations.
Vin Gopal is a very bad man.
That Vin Gopal has taken some very sad, sick and just plain wrong stances; charging things that just weren’t so.
He seems to be doing this with impunity. No one is pushing back. Was Art’s article the best course? Maybe not, but it was certainly a shot across the bow to say “knock it off.”
@The Point Is, Is right; negative campaigning works even though it is often disgusting, especially as Gopal has done in desperation.
Is one to sit idly by and just take it, or does one work to expose the fraudulent claims while also working to put a stop to it; so that we can get back to what is really important, the real issues.
Jason, what Gopal does is distract from the fact that he has nothing to run on. It’s a charade. That’s why the following article is so true. It’s near impossible to have an honest debate with a liberal:
http://canadafreepress.com/index.php/article/60255#.Us7jMPtKL-t
Let me ask a question of you Jason, if you were running for office and the victim of a nasty and slimy negative campaign attack, would you feel differently about finding a way to fight back and illustrate the foolishness that Vin Gopal represents?
JCG
A Democrat who never heard of the First Amendment? Come ‘uh – you’re kidding.
I’m sure Vin Gopal is delighted about this. The lawsuit is to gain publicity, nothing else. I’m sure Vin will play the race card, insinuating that it is an attack against him because of his Indian/South Asian ancestry, and I’m sure Art’s post will be circulated among many members of the Indian/South Asian community. Whether Vin’s friends in the South Asian community laugh it off and tell him he’s just being a big crybaby remains to be seen. OTOH, some Indian-Americans may not find it so amusing and harmless as Art and his followers think it is. And some of them may be politically independent, or even Republican. It would be ironic if John Bennett, after receiving complaints from the Indian-American community, did issue a statement distancing himself from Art’s article and ask that it be taken down. Anyway, I won’t be shocked if that happens.
@”It would be ironic if John Bennett, after receiving complaints from the Indian-American community, did issue a statement distancing himself.”
After all, this is not exactly promoting another exemplar of probity and rectitude.
Vinny is desperate to prove to the north Jersey big money boys he has any smarts/ value. They will do and say anything to drive a wedge and win anything at all, by any means. With the lousy long winter, the endless lies and taxation we are enduring, people out of work and losing their healthcare, people are disgusted and snarly at them all- so, the logic of hunt, and smear, and destroy,to gain footing will yield some results for them. Our job is to”not speak ill” of fellow Republicans, run on positive records and accomplishments, and not sink to their gutter level- and, stick together and win, again..