Leading NJ Legal Scholar: Golden has no conflict serving as Chairman and Sheriff

Bennett dismisses the opinion, says the Local Finance Board should decide

By Art Gallagher

At his breakfast meet and greet gatherings in Freehold and Neptune, Sheriff Shaun Golden said the he had consulted “large law firms, much bigger than any firm here in Monmouth County,” about the “fabricated conflict” of a Sheriff serving as a County Party Chairman raised by Chairman John Bennett and Municipal Chairs Steve McEnery of Manalapan and Anthony Graziano of Freehold Township.

Golden said, “there is no conflict.” He said in Freehold he would show the letter to anyone who wanted to see it. In Neptune he said he would “publish it if need be.”

I told Shaun I wanted to see the letter and that I wanted to publish it.  Here it is.

In the seven page letter that reviews the Ethics Law, Common Law and court cases from 1935 through 2009, Thomas P. Scrivo, Managing Partner of McElroy, Deutsch, Mulvaney and Carpenter, concludes:

Scrivo is the author of New Jersey Government Deskbook, the plain language handbook published by New Jersey Law Journal that is updated annually in cooperation with the New Jersey League of Municipalities.   The book is a guide for Freeholders, Mayors, Council Members, Municipal Attorneys, etc, on numerous Local Government issues including Ethics.  Additionally, he has been published in New Jersey Law Journal on matters of ethics and conflicts of interests.

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John Kaye: Vin Gopal and the Monmouth Democrats will “beat us over the head” if Golden is Chairman

By Art Gallagher

John Kaye

Former Monmouth County Prosecutor John Kaye, currently the President of the Monmouth County Affiliated Republican Club, wrote to the Republican County Committee members today to warn that Vin Gopal, the County Democrats and the press, will use Sheriff Shaun Golden’s “dual offices” as a campaign issue in the event he becomes Chairman.  Here’s a copy of Kaye’s letter.

Just as important as what John has done, is what he has not done – and that’s gift wrap a campaign issue for Vin Gopal and the County Democrats to beat us all over the head with. Unfortunately, I am concerned that is exactly what electing Shaun Golden to the dual offices of County Sheriff and County Republican Chairman will do.

Chairman Bennett called me on the day Golden announced he was running for Chairman and asked if I was going to “be fair with him this time.”  He felt my coverage of the 2012 Chairman’s race when I endorsed his opponent was unfair.   I told him I would be and I believe I have been.  Earlier this week I sat down separately with John and his daughter, Meghan Bennett Clark.  They both acknowledged that MMM’s coverage of the Chairman’s race has been fair.

So, if fairness, I have to say, the argument Kaye raises today in his letter to the County Committee is the same argument I raised against John Bennett being Chairman two years ago.  I argued that the Democrats and the press would have a field day with Bennett.  I argued that they would use Bennett’s record, pension and multiple public jobs to beat Monmouth County Republicans over the head.  It would be Club Monmouth all over again.

I was wrong.  It didn’t happen.

I don’t think it will happen this time either.  But if it does, both Bennett and Golden could both be vulnerable.

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Niemann Endorses Bennett, Says “You cannot be a Party Leader and an Elected Official”

Fred Niemann. Photo via ElderAbuseInNJ.com

Citing his personal experience on how difficult the job of Party Chairman is, former Monmouth Republican Chairman Fred Niemann issued an endorsement letter for John Bennett today.

Niemann served one term as Monmouth GOP Chair from 2004 -2006, a tumultuous time in the Party’s history that included the Operation Bid Rig arrests, raucous nominating conventions and the emergence of blogs and other new media.

While praising both Bennett and his opponent for Chairman, Sheriff Shaun Golden, Niemann argued that an elected official can not manage the conflicts or make the tough decisions a Chairman must make.

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DiSomma Staying Out of Chairman’s Race

Sean DiSomma, the heir apparent to Jack Minton as Chairman of the Red Bank Republicans, told MMM that he is staying out of the dueling endorsements contest that the Monmouth County Republican Chairman’s race has become.  “I spoke with both Chairman Bennett and Sheriff Golden,” DiSomma said, “both expressed their commitment  to supporting Republicans in Red Bank.”

Minton endorsed John Bennett for Chairman earlier this week.

Red Bank might not be 100% in Bennett’s camp.  “I spoke to Republicans on both sides and asked them to help me fill the vacancies on the County Committee with people who want to be involved,” DiSomma said.   As of the primary on Tuesday night, 7 of the 18 Red Bank Republican County Committee seats are vacant.

Vacancies can be filled via appointment by a municipal chairperson.  In order for a County Committee member who was not elected in the primary to be eligible to vote at the GOP County Convention next Tuesday, the municipal chairperson for each town must submit a list of appointees to Bertha Sumick, the Monmouth County Clerk of Elections, no later than  4:30PM on Tuesday. Each appointee’s qualifications (residency and affiliation) will be verified before voting credentials are issued.

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Greg’s List: Things to do in Monmouth County this weekend, June 6-8, 2014

 SPONSORED BY SEASTREAK

By Greg Kelly

Friday, June 6

• All My Sons at Center Playhouse (Freehold) – MORE INFO

• Manasquan Reservoir Evening Boat Tour (Howell) – MORE INFO

• Shore Orchid Festival (Neptune) – MORE INFO

• Celtic Woman at Count Basie Theatre (Red Bank) – MORE INFO

• Greek Festival (Holmdel) – MORE INFO

• D-Day 70th Anniversary Ceremony (Lincroft) – MORE INFO

• Asbury Park Unplugged at The Wonder Bar (Asbury Park) – MORE INFO

• Hit the Road, Jack at First Ave Playhouse (Atlantic Highlands) – MORE INFO

• Atlantic Highlands Farmer’s Market – MORE INFO

• Long Term Care Options (Shrewsbury) – MORE INFO

• Dinner Theater Murder/Mystery (Ocean Grove) – MORE INFO

• One Night Standards at Duncan Smith Theatre (Holmdel) – MORE INFO

• Trapped: 5 Original Plays by Jen Marvel (Ocean Grove) – MORE INFO

• Pet Adoption Event at Monmouth Mall (Eatontown) – MORE INFO

• Comic Joe DeVito (Red Bank) – MORE INFO

• The Woman’s Exchange 80th Anniversary Celebration (Little Silver) – MORE INFO

• Historical Maritime Lecture by William White (Monmouth Beach) – MORE INFO

• Hospice Training Course (Long Branch) – MORE INFO

• Ladies High Challenge (Lincroft) – MORE INFO

• The Rocky Horror Picture Show (Aberdeen) – MORE INFO

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Howell Incumbents Prevail

COSTIGAN LOSES HIS COUNTY COMMITTEE SEAT

John Costigan. Photo by Rhoda Chodosh

Howell Township’s incumbent Council Members Rich Nicastro, Pauline Smith and Bob Walsh beat back a Republican primary challenge from Michelle Flahtery, Allen Kaplan and Matthew Rausmussen on Tuesday.

Monmouth Republican State Committeeman, John Costigan, the GOP municipal chairman, lost his bid to retain his County Committee seat.

Costigan was believed to be behind the challengers.  He told MMM that he was not backing the challengers but he was glad they were running.

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Jeff Bell wins the GOP nomination for U.S. Senate

With 94% of the voting districts reporting statewide, Jeff Bell is leading Rich Pezzullo  by 3,200 votes in the race to take on Senator Cory Booker in November.

Save Jersey called the race for Bell.  Bell has 38,959 votes, 29%, according to The Associated Press.  Pezzullo had 35,733, 27%.

Establishment favorite Brian Goldberg has 33,194 votes, 25%.  Murray Sabrin has 20% of the vote, 26,249.

Bell defeated the last Republican U.S. Senator from New Jersey, Clifford Case, in 1978 GOP primary and lost the general election to Bill Bradley, a Rhodes Scholar and famous NBA basketball star.  This year he will take on Booker, a Rhodes Scholar and famous social media star.

Bell did not participate in any of the Republican County conventions this year. He has won the nomination without any county “Party Lines” on the primary ballot.

Bell sent out mail that Republican primary voters are used to receiving and he advertised MMM.

Follow Jeff Bell on twitter.  He has 175 followers to Booker’s 1.47 million.

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Backlash from Bennett’s “Endorsement”

Eatontown Councilman Richard “Duke” Robinson, the Eatontown GOP Chairman, Sheriff Shaun Golden and Councilman Kevin Gonzalez. Photo via EatontownGOP.com

Monmouth GOP Chairman John Bennett was apparently too enthusiastic in his use of language in the endorsement released yesterday from Republican leaders from Rumson, Shrewsbury Township, Eatontown, Oceanport, Red Bank and Tinton Falls.  In addition to the endorsement letter released to MMM, Bennett posted comments on his facebook page and in a email to County Committee Members to the effect that he had picked up the support of  “7 towns in the 2 Rivers area…. “

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MacArthur Defeats Lonegan in CD-3 GOP Primary

Tom MacArthur

Save Jersey has called the contentious Republican primary in the third Congressional District for former Randolph Mayor Tom MacArthur.

In a contest of carpetbaggers to replace retiring Congressman Jon Runyan in the House of Representatives, MacArthur beat former Bogota Mayor Steve Lonegan handedly.

With 70% of the votes counted in the Burlington County portion of the district and 63% counted in Ocean County, MacArthur is leading with 63% of the vote.

MacArthur will face off against Burlington County Freeholder Aimee Belgard in November. Belgard trounced Howard Kleinhendler of Lakewood with almost 80% of the vote.  Kleinhendler was the Democratic nominee against Congressman Chris Smith in the 4th district in 2010.

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Four decades of Democrats: A look at how Republicans have lost U.S. Senate races in NJ

Four decades of Democrats: A look at how Republicans have lost U.S. Senate races in NJ (via NJ.com)

TRENTON — Four Republicans are in a primary battle today for the right to face Democratic U.S. Sen. Cory Booker. Whomever wins the GOP nod will have an uphill battle as none of the candidates has big name recognition or much cash against the popular…

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