PARSIPPANY - As traffic stops involving public officials go, this one seemed benign.

Back in the summer of 2023, Councilman Justin Musella was a passenger in a car that was stopped for speeding in town. His wife was driving.

The approaching police officer saw Musella and obviously recognized him. He addressed him as "Justin." All this is on a video of the incident.

Musella said they were trying to catch a train. Musella's wife showed the officer the councilman's business card, which probably was redundant, because the cop knew who he was. No ticket was written.

We digress.

Many political observers have seen - and read about - politicians getting stopped by police and arrogantly saying something like, "Do you know who I am?"

The best response to that is for a cop to say, "No, but I will in 30 seconds when you show me your license."

No interplay like that occurred here. Musella and his wife went on their way and the incident was over.

Not really.

Now we are in the spring of 2025 and Musella is challenging Mayor Jamie Barberio in the June Republican primary.

The 2023 traffic stop has become a big issue.

So much so that Barberio is backing a council resolution to censure Musella at Tuesday night's meeting. A "censure" sounds worse than it is. While it is an official reprimand that someone did something naughty, it doesn't carry a lot of weight.

The censure vote was to occur last week, but the council chamber was so overflowing with residents, the meeting was postponed. This week's meeting will be at a larger venue - Parsippany Hills High School.

Here is what the mayor says about the incident on social media.

"The (state) statute states that 'No local government officer or employee shall use or attempt to use his official position to secure unwarranted privileges or advantages for himself or others.' The reason for the censuring was due to a public video of police body cam footage from a traffic stop on 08/03/2023 where Musella and his wife were pulled over for exceeding the speed limit by 20-24 mph. When the officer on the stop asked them for their credentials, Councilman Musella handed the officer his officially issued business card, and the responding officer immediately let them go."

The mayor says Musella was again pulled over for speeding a few months later and was also let go. Barberio adds:

"Musella is attempting to evade accountability for his abuse of power. He is seeking to justify his reckless speeding through residential neighborhoods, which puts residents and children at risk. Meanwhile, Justin thinks he is entitled to operate under a distinct set of rules, seemingly above the law that governs others."

Musella responded:

"Parsippany residents see through Jamie Barberio's political stunt - a desperate distraction from the real challenges caused by his failed policies. (Last) Tuesday's strong turnout proves the people won't tolerate this baseless lawfare. It's time to end the games and focus on what truly matters."

Musella said he has no recollection and has seen no evidence of the second traffic stop to which Barberio referred.

It is worth noting that before this race began dissolving into animosity, Morris County Republicans tried to bring Musella into the fold by asking him to run for reelection as a councilman on Barberio's ticket.

As we can see, that plan failed.