Senator Lacks Integrity To Be In the Legislature

Sen Joe Pennacchio is trying to fight his Republican Primary battle against Morris County Commission Tom Mastrangelo by proxy and he’s failing.

Mastrangelo says Pennacchio has enlisted Assemblyman Brian Bergen as his attack dog and Bergen is putting out false information to voters.

“Not only is Joe Pennacchio running a Democrat-style disinformation campaign, he’s using an elected official to do it who is simply clueless,” said Mastrangelo, a five-term elected county official.

Mastrangelo said Bergen is sending messages to voters that are inaccurate attacks on Mastrangelo’s record on behalf of Pennacchio.

“There are no “reports surfacing” about my record or that of my running mate BettyLou DeCroce, as Mr. Bergen publicly claims. “The only reports are the ones in Brian Bergen’s head and they were put there by Joe Pennacchio,” said Mastrangelo.

“I am proud of my record as a freeholder and county commissioner. I helped reduce the county debt by $60 million, I helped pass seven zero tax increase county budgets and I improved our county parks and services for senior citizens. I attended 91 percent of county meetings – a fact that Mr. Bergen mangled in his disinformation campaign to voters on behalf of Joe Pennacchio.

“Brian Bergen is apparently unaware of the office he is running for. He’s not running for state senate. It appears he was enticed to be Joe Pennacchio’s attack dog because Mr. Pennacchio lacks the courage to do his own fighting,” said Mastrangelo.

Mastrangelo said that Bergen’s attacks on him may be stemming from Bergen’s anger over his failed attempt to get Morris County Small Business Loan last year.

“Mr. Bergen tried to get a loan for a Denville business at an address that county officials found was a vacant building. Mr. Bergen never adequately explained how that happened,” said Mastrangelo. “Why was Mr. Bergen trying to get a government loan for a business that was going out of business?

Bergen now reportedly works at a valve company in Nazareth, P.A.
Mastrangelo pointed out that Bergen likes to engage in subterfuge. When he ran for the Assembly in 2019, Bergen used an anonymous Wyoming-registered consulting company as his campaign consultant. According to press reports, Bergen paid approximately $15,000 to the anonymous company during the campaign. After the election, the owner of the company sued Bergen for $15,000, to recoup money that was owed to the consultant.
“Brian Bergen thinks he’s clever. He’s not. He’s been duped into being Joe Pennacchio’s attack dog. Anyone who uses people or allows themselves to be used to do the dirty work of others has no place in the state legislature,” said Mastrangelo.