New Jersey Election Commission Gives Republican Candidate Green Light to Sue Opponent Over Defamation Allegations Ahead of Governor's Race.
A unanimous vote by a New Jersey Election Law Commission has cleared the way for Republican candidate Jack Ciattarelli to pursue a defamation lawsuit against his Democratic opponent, Mikie Sherrill. The ruling allows Ciattarelli to spend his own money on the suit, which he claims was sparked by alleged defamation during a gubernatorial debate.
Ciattarelli's campaign attorney, Mark Sheridan, stated that his client believes he was defamed when Sherrill made comments about his business background. The remarks were made during an Oct. 8 debate between the two candidates, in which Sherrill accused Ciattarelli's company, Galen Publishing, of publishing "opioid propaganda" that contributed to New Jersey's opioid crisis.
Sherrill had previously stated that you "killed tens of thousands of people" by allowing his company to publish such materials. The claim has sparked a heated debate and personal attacks between the two candidates, with Sherrill accusing Ciattarelli of being "a total baby" for threatening to sue her over the comments.
Ciattarelli's campaign maintains that the comments were defamatory, but his own internal polling shows the candidates to be neck-and-neck in the election. The contest has become increasingly personal, with controversy surrounding Sherrill's record at the U.S. Naval Academy and a recent public records request that released her personal information.
The lawsuit will be handled by outside attorneys who Ciattarelli's campaign plans to hire, despite exceeding the $25,000 cap on personal funds for such expenses under New Jersey state election law. The decision allows Ciattarelli to pursue his claim without running afoul of the state's campaign finance laws.
As Election Day approaches, the battle between Ciattarelli and Sherrill shows no signs of letting up. With issues like housing affordability and high electric bills dominating voters' minds, personal attacks have become a central part of the contest.
A unanimous vote by a New Jersey Election Law Commission has cleared the way for Republican candidate Jack Ciattarelli to pursue a defamation lawsuit against his Democratic opponent, Mikie Sherrill. The ruling allows Ciattarelli to spend his own money on the suit, which he claims was sparked by alleged defamation during a gubernatorial debate.
Ciattarelli's campaign attorney, Mark Sheridan, stated that his client believes he was defamed when Sherrill made comments about his business background. The remarks were made during an Oct. 8 debate between the two candidates, in which Sherrill accused Ciattarelli's company, Galen Publishing, of publishing "opioid propaganda" that contributed to New Jersey's opioid crisis.
Sherrill had previously stated that you "killed tens of thousands of people" by allowing his company to publish such materials. The claim has sparked a heated debate and personal attacks between the two candidates, with Sherrill accusing Ciattarelli of being "a total baby" for threatening to sue her over the comments.
Ciattarelli's campaign maintains that the comments were defamatory, but his own internal polling shows the candidates to be neck-and-neck in the election. The contest has become increasingly personal, with controversy surrounding Sherrill's record at the U.S. Naval Academy and a recent public records request that released her personal information.
The lawsuit will be handled by outside attorneys who Ciattarelli's campaign plans to hire, despite exceeding the $25,000 cap on personal funds for such expenses under New Jersey state election law. The decision allows Ciattarelli to pursue his claim without running afoul of the state's campaign finance laws.
As Election Day approaches, the battle between Ciattarelli and Sherrill shows no signs of letting up. With issues like housing affordability and high electric bills dominating voters' minds, personal attacks have become a central part of the contest.
! I mean, come on, Jack Ciattarelli thinks he's gonna take Mikie Sherrill to court over some comments made during a debate? Like, okay, dude, if you can't handle the heat, stay out of politics 
. And now his campaign is just going to go around saying that Sherrill defamed him without any evidence? That's just ridiculous 
. It's like they're trying to distract from their lack of policies and focus on mudslinging instead 
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. It's like he's trying to be the victim here instead of taking responsibility for his own actions 
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. Voters deserve better than personal attacks and lawsuits over minor comments. They deserve real leaders who can focus on solving problems, not just playing politics 
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I gotta say, this defamation lawsuit thing is just fuel for the fire, right? It's like they're taking a negative topic and blowing it outta proportion 
. I mean, come on, tens of thousands of people dying from opioid overdoses? That's a serious issue that needs attention, not some back-and-forth with ads and soundbites 
. But, you know what? Maybe this whole thing is just an opportunity for Jack Ciattarelli to shine a light on the real issues in NJ – housing affordability, electric bills, healthcare... all that jazz 
. And Mikie Sherrill can use it as a chance to talk about her own record at the Naval Academy and how she's going to tackle those problems head-on 
. At the end of the day, it's all just part of the election process, and we get to decide who'll be leading NJ forward 
!
Also, why do we have these huge debates over who said what during a debate? Shouldn't we focus on the issues at hand instead of personal attacks?
I made a simple flowchart to show how campaign finance laws can get complicated 
But in this case, the commission said Ciattarelli can still sue Sherrill because of a loophole. Mind blown?
Draw a sad face to show my concern about the personal attacks getting out of hand 
. It feels like both candidates are getting personal and it's really not doing much for the voters 
. I mean, both candidates are going after each other like there's no tomorrow 
. I think this whole thing is a perfect example of how campaigns can get mired in negativity and lose sight of what the people want 
. It's time for these candidates to put their differences aside and focus on the real issues that will shape New Jersey's future 
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i'm not sure how much longer these candidates can keep going with this back-and-forth, can we just have a real debate for once? 
And honestly, who benefits from this lawsuit anyway? Not the voters, that's for sure... just Ciattarelli's campaign and some lawyers 
I'm really worried about the direction this election is taking. It's getting super personal and petty, with both candidates throwing shade at each other. Mikie Sherrill might've been wrong to make those comments, but attacking Jack Ciattarelli over it is just low. And now he's going to sue her for defamation? That's just gonna drag out the whole process even more. I'm so tired of these guys being all about winning at anyone else's expense 
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The more personal attacks there are, the less people are gonna take these candidates seriously. I hope voters see right through all this drama and make an informed decision on election day 
. It's also a reminder that in times of stress or disagreement, our words can have real-life consequences