Letters from our In Box…

A few of the dozens of correspondence we get each week…

Message: Please contact me about working together.

Message: I noticed your article about xxxx xxxxxx. I beg someone in your organization to call me about a recent article he wrote...

Message: My wife and I are registered Dems in NJ. However we want to switch our party to REPUBLICAN. Can you help us with that? Thanking you in advance for your assistance.  Semper Fi
 

Message: Below is a letter I would like to submit (in an ideal world) anonymously. I tried submitting it in the contact box on your site but used an old email address of mine that I no longer can access, unfortunately it was hacked. I live in Bergen County and am tired of the status quo but if I speak openly about it I will be persona non-grata in the GOP there and the usual attack dogs will come after me the same way they do to everyone who disagrees with them… Thank you.

The Bergen County Republican Organization (BCRO) is in dire need of a course correction. Newly elected BCRO Chairman Jack Zisa is himself a dose of much needed change from the past backstabbing and infighting that resulted in an underfunded and understrength county party. Yet the BCRO Executive Director Giancarlo Ghione is a holdover from the failed Chairmanship of Paul DiGaetano, specializes in creating bad blood within the party, has failed to deliver on any of his promises, and should be let go.

First and foremost is the fact that Ghione was involved in the divisive intra-party county war that ousted former Chairman Bob Yudin. That Yudin was replaced would not be an issue except for fact that the wild promises of the DiGaetano boosters made went unfulfilled. Despite assertions that they would turn the party around after the coup led in part by Ghione, the BCRO has continued to come up short on the county level and in the state legislature races.

Second, and related, is the fact that Ghione appears to fight internal battles within the party, in its organizations and primaries, with a vigor he does not bring to bear in general elections. Can anyone say Ghione, or the small cabal of mostly Young Republicans he leads, fought for Republicans in the last general elections as hard as he fought against fellow Republicans in the past primary? Has he and his clique ever applied the same energy they used on booting Yudin, electing DiGaetano Chairman, or preventing Steve Lonegan from getting the congressional nomination, on getting a Republican elected mayor, assemblyman, freeholder, or other elected office?

Third, Ghione may one day put the BCRO in the same legal danger as he has the NJ State Young Republican Federation which is under investigation by the National Young Republican Federation board and is endanger of being de-chartered. Approximately 2 years ago Ghione, and co-conspirators xxxxxxxxxxx  and xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx, decided to play fast and loose with the rules in order to take over the State Young Republicans. Despite doing so, he and his cronies have failed to hold a single State Young Republican Committee meeting in further violation of their legal obligations.

There are many more accounts of Ghione's penchant for negative, divisive, and possibly illegal actions. He has led his small group of political soldiers to be loyal to him over any party organ and the party itself. His type of self-aggrandizement shouldn't be tolerated by the BCRO and if unaddressed will ultimately harm it. For all those reasons, Ghione should be let go from his job as BCRO Executive Director.

NOTE:  This letter was submitted by an individual who requested that we publish it anonymously.  We have his contact information, but have complied with his request.  While Mr. Ghione is a public figure, as executive director of the BCRO and his other titles, two other individuals mentioned in this letter might not be.  We have erred on the side of caution and have blacked out their names.  This website takes no position on the opinions expressed regarding BCRO Executive Director Ghione, and we of course offer him the use of this website to publish his own response or correction to this letter, or indeed his thoughts on any matter he wishes to address.

Liberal Democrats rally around McCann's candidacy

After losing the coveted "Column One" position in Bergen County and filing a campaign receipts and expenditures report with the Federal Elections Commission (FEC) in April that showed his campaign was deep in debt and not raising enough money to sustain itself, candidate John McCann apparently sent out an SOS to his friends and colleagues.  They responded in a big way.

A former Democrat candidate for Mayor of Bogota (Bergen County) stepped forward to accuse McCann's opponent of saying some pithy things about him a decade or so ago.  McCann's campaign neglected to fully vet this Democrat (who they, oddly enough, describe as a "Christian conservative"), who recently attacked the policies of President Donald Trump and the Republican Party. 

This too is odd, coming from the McCann camp, which claims to be pro-Trump even as it puts forward "spokespersons" who are decidedly anti-Trump.  We get "the enemy of my enemy is my friend" thing, but McCann can only take this so far.

Shambling forward came the "Ghost of losing the Legislature past" -- that impresario of the brylcreem set -- Paulie "the hand" DiGaetano.  He reached out to the "mastermind" behind the Bridgegate scandal with the story about how McCann's opponent had said mean things about the guy who ran for Mayor as a Democrat.  Mind you, this is the same DiGaetano who Senator Kevin O'Toole (R-Bergen, Passaic, Essex, Morris) claimed had threatened him.  It was widely reported on. 

O'Toole claims former assemblyman DiGaetano once threatened his life

https://www.politico.com/states/.../otoole-digaetano-once-threatened-my-life-102642

Jun 9, 2016 - Paul DiGaetano, a once powerful Republican assemblyman and former gubernatorial candidate, is on the cusp of returning to an active role in New Jersey politics for the first time in a decade.

O'Toole Claims DiGaetano Threatened His Life | Observer

observer.com/2016/06/otoole-claims-digaetano-threatened-his-life/

Jun 9, 2016 - Soon-to-retire state Senator Kevin O'Toole (R-40) has made claims that former Assemblyman and gubernatorial candidate Paul DiGaetano threatened his life during a one-on-one conversation the two men had over ten years ago as DiGaetano was mounting his gubernatorial run. O'Toole spoke with ...

'I'll f---ing kill you!' Senator's chilling account of closed-door N.J. ...

www.nj.com/.../ill_f_-_-_-_ing_kill_you_senators_chilling_account_of_closed-door_...

Jun 10, 2016 - A sitting state senator says a candidate for governor demanded his endorsement, and threatened to kill him if he refused. ... all the key parties. O'Toole (R-Essex) says the threat was made in 2005 by Paul DiGaetano, then a leading Republican assemblyman dreaming about a long-shot bid for governor.

DiGaetano was in the middle of a campaign to be Bergen County GOP Chairman, so his opponent seized upon this to demand that he withdraw from the race:

After O'Toole Threat Claims, Yudin Wants DiGaetano to Leave BCRO ...

observer.com/.../after-otoole-threat-claims-yudin-wants-digaetano-to-leave-bcro-race/

Jun 9, 2016 - Current Bergen County Republican Organization (BCRO) Chairman Bob Yudin is calling for his competitor, former Assemblyman Paul DiGaetano, to step out of the race for the position in the county organization. Yudin's call comes after allegations that DiGaetano once threatened the life of LD40 state ...

 Of course, DiGaetano disputed Senator O'Toole's claims and even threatened to sue him.

Bergen GOP chairman sues O'Toole over death-threat claims - Politico

https://www.politico.com/.../bergen-gop-chairman-sues-otoole-over-death-threat-clai...

Jun 15, 2017 - Republican Sen. Kevin O'Toole claimed DiGaetano, now the GOP chairman in Bergen County, delivered a “threat of great bodily harm” during a one-on-one conversation more than a decade ago.

We haven't heard any news about the lawsuit, but it appears as though Paulie "D" learned a new trick, because he is pulling the same thing on McCann's opponent that was pulled on him.  Now it is DiGaetano who is making phone calls on behalf of McCann, urging that their opponent be made to drop out of the race for the Republican nomination for Congress in the 5th District. 

You couldn't make this silly shit up.  As a county chairman DiGaetano has been a disaster.  Now he is calling GOP leaders asking them to join him in demanding someone drop out for being accused of saying actually far less than what he was accused of saying -- only the guy DiGaetano wants to drop out was accused by a Democrat and DiGaetano was accused by a Republican. 

"Stumbling John" McCann and his followers are real pieces of work. 

McCann bashes Jewish veteran for standing up for faith

The campaign of "Stumbling John" McCann choose the start of Passover to launch a bitter personal attack on a leader of the Jewish community in Bergen County.  Under attack by McCann is former Bergen County GOP Chairman Bob Yudin.  McCann chose to include a nasty personal attack -- from the candidate -- on Yudin in his campaign's release.

Yudin's crime?  He dared to criticize candidate McCann's acceptance of an endorsement from a controversial figure named Sebastian Gorka.  Gorka was a foreign policy advisor in the White House before being fired by the Trump administration.  Gorka has also been the subject of a lot of media coverage over his connections to some rather icky people.

Yudin, who was born while the Nazis and Hitler were in power, fearlessly questioned the appropriateness of McCann's choice of Gorka -- both as an endorser and the featured speaker at a McCann fundraiser.  Politico (03.23.18) takes over from here:

The former chairman of Bergen County‘s Republican Party is slamming a congressional candidate for raising money with Sebastian Gorka, a one-time adviser to President Donald Trump who wore a medal associated with a Hungarian group that collaborated with Nazi Germany.

“It’s absolutely despicable. It shows that I have to assume that John McCann approves of this man,” said Bob Yudin, who chaired the Bergen County GOP from 2008 to 2016 and backs McCann rival Steve Lonegan for the GOP nomination in the 5th Congressional District. “This man seems to have sympathy toward fascists and Nazis, and this act of accepting support from him disqualifies John McCann in all ways and manners from being my congressman.”

John McCann should know better.  He is a lawyer.  His wife is a doctor in New York City.  They should understand how sensitive a subject this is for those who suffered personal or community loss due to anti-Semitism.  To forget or ignore this and then try to score some cheap political points is revolting. 

Bob Yudin served his country in the U.S. Navy, as a Lt. j.g. Airborne Navigator during Vietnam.  He graduated from the United States Naval School of Justice.  He is a member of the VFW and the Jewish War Veterans.

Yudin is very proud of his work as a liaison to New Jersey’s Jewish Community and his work with Israel.  He served as Executive Director of the New Jersey-Israel Commission and led the group’s first Holocaust Education trip to Poland and Israel.  He is a former member of the Board of Directors of the North Jersey Jewish Federation and a member of the Leadership Council of the Republican Jewish Coalition.  Yudin also arranged for El-Al Airlines to operate direct flights from Newark Liberty International Airport to Israel.  He has assisted numerous Israeli businesses in starting locations in New Jersey.

What a guy for McCann to try to trash at the start of Passover.  But what can you say about "Stumbling John"?  McCann pissed the bed again!

McCann, DiGaetano have turned Bergen GOP into a monkey circus

by Bob Taschler

BCRO is still not organized. 

In an attempt to try to appear politically relevant DiGaetano called a meeting of municipal chairs. It had no real political purpose in that no political decisions were going to be made. DiGaetano was going to make all of the decisions by himself regardless of what anyone else says.

Only about 20 of the muni-chairs showed up. With DiGaetao's minions, YRs, candidates and candidate aides there were about 50 in attendance.

Sen. Cardinale entered the room while Lonegan was speaking. DiGaetano tried to throw him out because he was not a muni chair all the while the YRs, who are not muni chairs, were furiously texting after each question was asked and after Lonegan gave his answers. Could it be that the YRs were communicating with McCann who was hiding in the back office? Sen. Cardinale stayed. So much for the chairman being in charge of his own meeting.

After speaking to 9 people who were in attendance here is what I have learned:

1. The BCRO still does not have a slogan. In spite of claims to the contrary even DiGaetano had to admit that he does not have control of "the slogan". People were alternatively advised to leave the slogan blank on their local petitions, use the old slogan anyway because they were going to get it, or change to a new slogan after they have filed on April 2nd. This means that John McCann and anyone running with him may or may not have a slogan by the deadline and therefore may or may not be in a column. Their names will be stuck somewhere in right field on the primary ballot. This whole issue has left nearly 1,000 county committee without clear direction. Such is the rudderless ship SS BCRO.

2. John McCann is beginning to back-pedal on that $37,000 legal bill he initially claimed against the BCRO for trade-mark or copyright legal work over the slogan. Now he is beginning to imply that the $37,000 might be a contribution in kind. This for writing a legal brief to request the return of control of the old slogan that DiGaetano failed to secure last year. That is $37,000 to write a letter? Even at $740 an hour that is 50 hours to write a letter. Do you think John McCann's legal mind is worth $740 an hour? Seems to me that an MBA graduate of Wharton Business School, as McCann has claimed he is, could write a letter in a bit less time, don't you think? I think I will call the alumni office at Wharton to confirm that MBA McCann claims he has. I wonder what they will say.

3. DiGaetano stated that he made no financial agreement with McCann about any legal bills. So it seems that DiGaetano and McCann can't get their story straight. DiGaetano then asked if there were any attorneys who would work for free to defend the suit that Bob Yudin has against the BCRO. That suit is for the $10,000 Yudin lent to the BCRO but suddenly disappeared off of the BCRO's NJ ELEC reports. Funny how easy it has been for DiGaetano to make money disappear from the BCRO.

4. It was asserted that John McCann failed to vote in the last 12 Republican primaries. McCann never refuted this. Perhaps he was spending too much time writing legal briefs to take the time to vote?

5. It was asserted that McCann was at the epi-center of the feud between County Executive Kathe Donovan and Sheriff Saudino That very public feud soured rank and file voters which resulted in the loss of our freeholder majority, the county executive seat and Sheriff Saudino flipping to the democrat party. It turns out that McCann's actions were the Bergen County Democrats most valuable asset in those years and resulted in their complete domination of county politics.

6. Steve Lonegan articulated clear Republican principles. He has raised over $1.4 million, received endorsements from the majority of the state senators and assembly members representing parts of NJ CD-5 as well as many elected officials outside the area and many political luminaries. I believe that Steve Forbes has endorsed Steve Lonegan and will be holding a major fundraiser for Lonegan sometime next week.

7. John McCann now claims that he has raised $50,000 for his campaign. I can't wait to see his next Federal Election Commission report. This begs the question - Who will help the county and local candidates more? A congressional candidate with $1.4 million to spend or one with only $50,000 to spend being managed by a chairman who lost 40 local seats over the past two years?

8. DiGaetano claims that McCann will have the better chance of beating Gottheimer in November. Given DiGaetano's candidates have an unbroken losing streak since winning the chairmanship and the fact that he is in the clear minority opinion among elected officials it appears to me that DiGaetano is trying to sell political snake oil. His next job could very well be as a used car salesman at one of the lots on Route 46. He would likely do very well in that environment. 

9. While the HQ is still filthy, at least they managed to put paper products in the women's room and served some coffee.  

10. The BCRO and Republican brand has been so trashed by DiGaetano's antics that it no longer has any credibility or value. Better if a candidate were to avoid it as much as possible It does not raise money. It does not attract volunteers. It does not command respect among voters.