ELECTION INTERFERENCE is alive and well in South Jersey and hiding behind the
First Amendment as a cheater’s dodge.

For Immediate Release

Statement from:
Atlantic County Republican Chairman Don Purdy
Camden County Republican Chairman Tom Crone
Washington Twp Executive Chairman Steve Pakradooni

Jersey Freedom, a shady independent expenditure committee, popped up late in the 2023 campaign with mail and television ads supporting phantom “conservative” candidates to confuse voters and siphon votes from actual Republican candidates in the 4th Legislative District. In a recent statement the Norcross Cartel invoked the First Amendment and “freedom of speech” to defend this scurrilous tactic. This is election interference, nothing less. The twisted logic being employed by South Jersey Democrats claiming freedom of speech leaves much to be desired. What is worse is that it ostensibly worked.

ELECTION INTERFERENCE is alive and well in South Jersey and hiding behind the First Amendment as a cheater’s dodge. Not satisfied with interfering in the 2023 Republican Primary Election in the fourth legislative district, the Norcross Cartel recruited “conservative” candidates to run as independents in the general election to confuse voters and cause chaos. Senate candidate Giuseppi Costanzo was so “conservative” and willing to serve the community he registered to vote the same day his nominating petitions were turned in. Assembly candidate Maureen Dukes-Penrose, a lifelong Democrat, told the New Jersey Globe that retiring State Sen. Fred Madden, the former Gloucester County Democratic Chairman, encouraged her to run as an independent. Campaign finance reports now show that George Norcross personally dumped $1.35 million into a dark money independent expenditure committee that was sending mail and running broadcast ads for the “conservative” independent candidates in LD4.

Moreover, why is Angelea McGeehan, a lifelong DEMOCRAT and daughter of former Washington Township Democratic Municipal Committee Chairman and longtime lieutenant of Paul Moriarty, Frank Cianci, circulating petitions for “conservative” candidates Costanzo and Dukes-Penrose? This makes a murky situation that much more dubious. McGeehan is far from the mastermind of this plot but a major player that should be thoroughly investigated along with the phantom candidates themselves.

Connect the dots, it is not difficult. George Norcross used his own money to fund the television ads and mailers through Jersey Freedom. Longtime Camden County Democratic Committee attorney William Tambusi represents Jersey Freedom. There are no coincidences in politics. For these reasons, a Superior Court judge froze the accounts of Jersey Freedom to stop the lies from being funded further, but the damage was done. The Attorney General needs to investigate everyone involved in this attempt to defraud the voters of LD4 and secure fair and honest elections in the future.

Election interference stole democracy from the people of LD4. The phantom candidacies were a lie perpetrated on the voters to interfere with the election and rig the outcome. Confusion and chaos were the goal, it appears to have succeeded.

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