Mancuso helped fund Menendez

Ocean County GOP Chairman George Gilmore says he was "disheartened" by GOP State Chairman candidate Peter Mancuso's $1,000 contribution to the Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee.  Gilmore says the check, written after Tom Kean, Jr. had already entered the race, was effectively a donation to Democrat Bob Menendez. 

Mancuso, the former Mayor of Morris Township, is challenging incumbent Republican State Chairman Tom Wilson in a vote tonight.  Former Assembly Majority Leader Paul DiGaetano is also a candidate.

Dear Peter,

I received and read the email you sent out today. I must tell you that I was disheartened by the fact that your pledge to raise $200,000 for the Republican State Committee is conditioned upon your election as State Chairman. I had hoped you would be willing to raise money for the Republican State Committee without any preconditions.

I was equally disheartened when you confirmed to me today that you made a personal $1,000 contribution to the Democratic Senatorial Committee in June of 2005. That date is important because Tom Kean had already announced his intention to seek the Republican nomination for U.S. Senate and it was the funding cycle for the 2006 U.S. Senate campaigns. Since there were no U.S. Senate races in 2005, the money was being raised to defeat Republicans in the 2006 U.S. Senate races.

You certainly have the right to contribute to whomever you want and to whatever political party you want. But, I would have rather seen your contribution go to Tom Kean's campaign than to the Democratic Senatorial Committee which helped fund the campaign of Bob Menendez.

Sincerely,

George R. Gilmore
Chairman, Ocean County Republican Organization