Kole: Coyle's Claims of Parks Commission Amnesia Ring Hollow

HILLSBOROUGH, NJ, August 29, 2007- William Kole, candidate for Assembly from the 16th Legislative District, today chastised longtime Somerset County Freeholder Denise Coyle for attempting to use a case of selective amnesia to sidestep serious questions about her role in the ongoing Parks Commission scandal.

According to a story in today’s Star-Ledger, Coyle said she could not remember a meeting she attended with two other current freeholders and members of the Somerset County Parks Commission to "discuss policies for providing cars and homes to park employees." The minutes of the meeting clearly note that Freeholder Coyle attended the meeting. According to the article, Coyle referred a reporter's questions to County Counsel.

“Instead of claiming amnesia and hiding behind her taxpayer-paid lawyer, Denise Coyle needs to come clean with Somerset County residents outraged that their money has been wasted by the Parks Commission," said Kole. "For someone who has been in public office for as long as Denise Coyle, you would think she could come up with a better excuse than a bad memory.”

Kole said Coyle's memory lapse on matters related to the Parks Commission scandal is especially troubling given that her 12 years on the Board of Chosen Freeholders, including multiple terms as Freeholder Director and a stint as the chair of the board's Finance and Administration committee.

Kole questioned how Somerset County residents could trust Denise Coyle's word in Trenton when they can't even trust her memory in Somerville.

“Somerset County's residents need an Assembly representative who will actually take responsibility for their actions and will never try to claim memory loss to evade accountability," said Kole. "Denise Coyle needs to realize that public service entails actively safeguarding the public's trust, not just attending ribbon cuttings. Every day, taxpayers are realizing more and more that Denise Coyle is just another politician networking in pay to play and letting cronies live high off of taxpayer dollars."