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 didnot issue a statement…” posts and our posts calling Gopal on his duplicity.
When Vin Gopal launched his latest attack, I heard from friends with two different types of advice. Some said I should fight back immediately because silence would suggest I had no defense. Others said I should do nothing because to respond to bullying would make me just look defensive. I thanked them all for their kind thoughts but told them all the same thing. I see this as a teachable moment to be shared with everyone who may be thinking of someday entering public life.
You may see public office as I do – a way of giving back to society and being thankful for the success you’ve had in your professional life. In an ideal democracy opponents would challenge you by putting forth a competing vision of the future they would work for and offer up their record of accomplishments so people could judge whether or not they had as good a record as yours when it comes to getting things done. Unfortunately, that’s not how our democracy has evolved.
Instead of thoughtful, accomplished candidates we are too often faced with political attack dogs whose sole purpose is to try to destroy the reputation of people in the opposing party. Lies, distortions and bullying are their stock in trade. If anyone you have ever dealt with in your public life is ever accused of wrong doing in their private affairs, rest assured that the partisan hounds will come barking after you even though you are in no way involved. That’s just the way it’s done on every level be it federal, state, county or local. So what are you to do? The answer is simple. Whether you are a little league coach or a first responder, whether you feed the hungry, lead a troop of girl scouts or serve on a school board you have a record on which you can stand. Every person you have helped, every dollar you have saved or raised, every public asset you have fought to preserve, everything you have done in your public life speaks for you. We are all entitled to be judged by our true record. All the barking of all the hounds cannot drown out the truth. At the end of the day the weight of solid accomplishments will balance well against empty accusations from a poisoned pen.
Stand strong with high standards. Keep firm in your commitments. Speak dearly of the brighter future you are working to create. Do this all resolutely and leave those attack dogs to do their howling at the moon.
Monmouth County roads will be a little safer for the next seven months.
Former Red Bank Mayor Ed McKenna, a Democrat, was convicted of driving while intoxicated last week in Tinton Falls Municipal Court. He received a seven month suspension to his drivers license and a $764 fine.
McKenna was arrested by a New Jersey State Trooper on May 13, 2013 after being involved in a one car accident at mile marker 108 of the Garden State Parkway. He scored nearly three times the legal limit in a breathalyzer test.
Monmouth County Republican Chairman John Bennett didnot issue a statement accusing all Democrats of being drunks who are unfit for office. Bennett’s restraint stands in stark contrast to that of his Democratic counterpart, young Vin Gopal. Gopal, 28, accused “local and County Republican politicians” of being corrupt last week after former Manalapan Mayor Andrew Lucas was indicted for allegedly fraudulent acts to secure the purchase of a farm.
In an email sent to his party faithful this evening, Monmouth County Democratic Chairman Vin Gopal spun the Republican Romp in Monmouth County on Tuesday as a victorious holding of ground and claimed a net pick up of 1 municipal seat.
While we haven’t carefully fact checked Gopal’s claims, some of them appear to be laughable. He’s counting a Board of Education seat in Wall Township as a pick up and Mayor-elect Jerry Turning’s uncontested election in Tinton Falls, a non-partisan municipality, as pick up. The Tinton Falls GOP support Turning taking over as mayor of the borough where he has been administrator, after retiring as Police Chief.
Gopal is also not counting Highlands Council President Rebecca Kane’s loss to Republican Mayor Frank Nolan as a defeat, because there are 120 uncounted provisional ballots, even though Kane conceded the race on Tuesday night. Kane would have to get 77% of the provisional votes, assuming they are all ruled valid, in order to gain the 92 votes needed to over take Nolan’s lead.
The text of Gopal’s email is below the fold, for entertainment purposes. Feel free to check his facts and comment accordingly.
The story of the alleged arrest warrant, for a traffic violation, out of Dallas for Red Bank Republican Council candidate Sean DiSomma took bizarre twist and turns on Friday as Dallas officials confirmed to MMM and RedBankGreen, early in the day, that there had never been a warrant on DiSomma. Late Friday, a Dallas official told RedBankGreen that DiSomma was in “capias warrant status” and the Dallas Court website was updated to reflect that status. The official told RBG that the warrant was issued because DiSomma’s 2011 check paying his traffic violation fine bounced one year after it had been submitted, which would have been in January or February of 2012.
Monmouth Democratic Chairman Vin Gopal released an audio clip produced on Friday, purported to be a recording on the Dallas Court’s automated response system indicating that there was an “alias warrant” issued for DiSomma.
DiSomma, who provided documentation showing he paid his fines on Thursday evening, hours after he was made aware of the situation by members of the press following up on Gopal’s accusations, said the he was caught up in a “bureaucratic nightmare” with the Dallas Courts and that he was being defamed by the Monmouth Democrats.
There’s little hope for Republicans anyway if they don’t win a legislative chamber this year.
Vin Gopal’s ambitions are bigger than winning Democratic control of Monmouth’s county and municipal governments. He wants to make sure New Jersey never again has another Republican governor or U.S. senator.
“Once we turn Monmouth County blue, a Republican will never win statewide,” Gopal said last night at the annual Monmouth County Democrats Annual Chairman’s Ball, according to a report on PolitickerNJ.
State Senate President Steve Sweeney was on hand to boost Gopal’s plan of taking over Monmouth County from the bottom up.
“Build the party, bring as many people as you can to strengthen this organization, … and then once you create it you can win, there’s no reason why not,” said Senate President Steve Sweeney, who was invited to speak at the Monmouth County Democrats Annual Chairman Ball.
“It’s the effort that you put in and you’ve got to build from the foundation up,” he said, explaining first it’s the councils and then the freeholder boards.
“No Republican can win statewide if we can win this county,” Sweeney said. “It’s just a matter of attitude, energy and focus, and that’s what I’m seeing out of this county.”
Unless New Jersey Republicans win at least one chamber of the legislature on November 5, it is unlikely that a post Chris Christie Republican will be elected statewide for the foreseeable future anyway or that Republicans will ever control the legislature again.
If Republicans can’t pick up seats this year when they have a hugely popular governor cruising to a 30 point win on the top of the ticket, when will they? Not until there is another Jim Florio or Jon Corzine in Drumthwacket, or a Democratic version of Richard Nixon or George W. Bush in the White House, if even then.
Christie is going to be reelected by huge margins.
Long Branch Mayor Adam Schneider is the second Monmouth County Democratic mayor to publicly declare support for Republican Governor Chris Christie’s reelection.
Schneider told The Star Ledger that he will formally endorse Christie on Monday.
“He understands New Jersey and there’s no doubt in my mind is right now the last thing we need to do is reinvent the wheel,” Schneider said.
Long and Schneider are among a long and growing list of Democrats who are supporting Christie over the Democratic nominee, State Senator Barbara Buono. Earlier this week State Senator Brian Stack of Hudson County and Essex County Executive Joseph DiVincenzo formally endorsed Christie.
Monmouth County Democratic Chairman Vin Gopal issued the following statement about Schneider endorsing Christie:
“Adam Schenider is the Mayor of a nonpartisan town. He has endorsed numerous Republicans and Democrats in the past – as recently as 2011 when he endorsed a Republican Assemblywoman. As the mayor of a town which has nonpartisan form of governing, Mayor Schneider has said numerous times that he is not involved in either of the two major political parties in the county. Congressman Frank Pallone, the Democratic Municipal Chairman in Long Branch and his Democratic municipal committee is aggressively supporting Senator Barbara Buono’s campaign for Governor. Senator Buono opposed the cuts in UEZ funding in Governor Christie’s budget and she will also support an increase in the minimum wage – two issues which are important to Long Branch. I am confident that Long Branch residents will overwhelmingly support Senator Buono in November”
When Long endorsed Christie, Gopal issued a statement promising political retribution against the Sea Bright mayor, prompting Christie to say that “Vin represents the politics of yesterday.”
Last month Monmouth Democratic Chairman Vin Gopal went on NJTV to make the case that Governor Chris Christie is leading the in the polls so strongly because of how he has handled the aftermath of Superstorm Sandy and because the presumed Democratic nominee for governor, State Senator Barbara Buono is largely unknown.Canada
In the month since Gopal’s interview, Buono’s name recognition has ticked up only 4 points. Only 20% of the electorate know enough about her to form an opinion. Of that 20%, only half have a favorable opinion of her, according to the Quinnipiac Poll. Despite extensive free media granted Buono by New Jersey’s threelargestnewspapers, Christie has high favorable ratings even among registered Democrats.
Monmouth Dems will unanimously endorse Buono tomorrow
Responding to Democratic gubernatorial candidates Carl Bergmanson and Willie Araujo’s statements to MMM that they were not invited to the Monmouth Democratic Nominating Convention, Chairman Vin Gopal issued the following statement:
“We have one of the most open conventions in all of New Jersey. To date, I have only heard from one candidate seeking support for the Democratic Nomination for Governor – Senator Barbara Buono. We have sent several e-mails out to our database asking candidates who are interested in running for Governor, Legislature or County Offices to file a letter of intent. In addition, we had a public post on our Facebook Page on February 3rd asking potential candidates for Governor to get their paperwork in by February 9th, our deadline for candidates for candidates seeking our support. Any candidate who says they have reached out to us and we did not get back to them is just not true. We only heard from Senator Buono and that is who we will be unanimously endorsing tomorrow.”
