Ethically challenged incumbent Assembly members in District 37

Ethically challenged incumbent Assembly members in District 37 

Recently, we heard a lot about incumbent Assembly members Valerie Huttle and Gordon Johnson becoming instant reformers “from within” the Democratic Party. Their strategy is to take first steps in order to implement reforms in Trenton. They referred to these steps several times during the first Clean Election debate on October 15 in Hackensack.

However, both incumbent Assembly members face considerable ethical challenges. Incumbent Assemblyman Johnson recently voted to ban dual office holding in New Jersey, but excluded himself as a current dual office holder from this ban. He is also a Councilman in Englewood. If reelected to Assembly, he could hold dual offices until the end of his new term.  Now, there are allegations that Assemblyman Johnson may have solicited for Clean Elections contributions on city municipal property, a clear ELEC violation.

We already demanded for weeks that incumbent Assemblyman resign one of his positions. However, in light of his public refusal to do so, we suggest that he withdraws from the campaign for reelection to Assembly. We are willing to accept the fact that he completes his term in the lame duck session in the Assembly.

Incumbent Assemblywoman Huttle is under the considerable shadow of her husband’s involvement with publicly funded contracts, which were awarded to the law firm of DeCotiis, Fitzpatrick, Cole and Wisler, where he is a partner. She has not addressed the questions raised by these contracts to a satisfactory degree.  Therefore, we ask that the incumbent Assemblywoman withdraws from the campaign for reelection to Assembly. We are willing to accept the fact that she completes her term in the lame duck session in the Assembly providing that she answers questions raised about her husband’s involvement in publicly funded contracts.

It is time for a change in New Jersey politics. Voters in District 37 deserve honest representation in Trenton from real reformers. We need the honesty, integrity and foremost the commitment from our elected officials to a change and reform. Frank Cifarelli and Wojciech Siemaszkiewicz are committed to reform and the change in New Jersey politics.

We will reform rapidly rising property taxes, we will reform escalating cost of the school funding, we will reform broken pension system, we will reform the depleted transportation fund, and we will restore public trust into the New Jersey political system. We will get escalating spending, governmental waste and abuse under control.

Frank Cifarelli and Wojciech Siemaszkiewicz for Assembly

Contact:         Wojciech Siemaszkiewicz (201) 638-8100

                 Frank Cifarelli (201) 489-6790 or (516) 330-9653