New Jersey Officials Give Green Light to Jack Ciattarelli's Defamation Lawsuit Against Mikie Sherrill Ahead of Election Day
A unanimous ruling by the New Jersey Election Law Commission has cleared the way for Republican gubernatorial candidate Jack Ciattarelli to sue his Democratic opponent, Mikie Sherrill, over allegations of defamation. The commission ruled that Ciattarelli can spend his own money on the lawsuit without violating state campaign finance laws.
Ciattarelli's campaign attorney, Mark Sheridan, had submitted a request for guidance from the Election Law Enforcement Division, asking whether the candidate would be in violation of campaign finance laws if he spent more than $25,000 out of personal funds to sue Sherrill. The commission has now given its approval, and Ciattarelli is poised to file his lawsuit this week ahead of the November 4 election.
The dispute centers on a debate between the two candidates where Sherrill made comments about Ciattarelli's business background, accusing his medical publishing company, Galen Publishing, of contributing to the opioid crisis in New Jersey. Ciattarelli has since threatened to sue Sherrill for defamation over her remarks.
Sherrill had told the audience that Ciattarelli's company had published "opioid propaganda" and claimed it was responsible for tens of thousands of deaths. Ciattarelli responded by saying he was proud of his business career, but the comments have sparked a heated exchange between the two candidates.
The commission's decision comes as the gubernatorial contest has become increasingly personal, with both campaigns engaging in negative advertising and personal attacks. However, the court battle between Ciattarelli and Sherrill is expected to be just another flashpoint in the election.
Ciattarelli's campaign has maintained that it will hire outside attorneys to handle the lawsuit, which will likely exceed the $25,000 limit set by state election law. Sherrill's campaign, on the other hand, continues to back her comments about Ciattarelli's business record, with its own website highlighting information about his past.
The court battle is now just another aspect of a contest that has seen both candidates try to outmaneuver each other in recent weeks. As Election Day approaches, voters will be watching the developments closely and seeing how this latest exchange plays out.
A unanimous ruling by the New Jersey Election Law Commission has cleared the way for Republican gubernatorial candidate Jack Ciattarelli to sue his Democratic opponent, Mikie Sherrill, over allegations of defamation. The commission ruled that Ciattarelli can spend his own money on the lawsuit without violating state campaign finance laws.
Ciattarelli's campaign attorney, Mark Sheridan, had submitted a request for guidance from the Election Law Enforcement Division, asking whether the candidate would be in violation of campaign finance laws if he spent more than $25,000 out of personal funds to sue Sherrill. The commission has now given its approval, and Ciattarelli is poised to file his lawsuit this week ahead of the November 4 election.
The dispute centers on a debate between the two candidates where Sherrill made comments about Ciattarelli's business background, accusing his medical publishing company, Galen Publishing, of contributing to the opioid crisis in New Jersey. Ciattarelli has since threatened to sue Sherrill for defamation over her remarks.
Sherrill had told the audience that Ciattarelli's company had published "opioid propaganda" and claimed it was responsible for tens of thousands of deaths. Ciattarelli responded by saying he was proud of his business career, but the comments have sparked a heated exchange between the two candidates.
The commission's decision comes as the gubernatorial contest has become increasingly personal, with both campaigns engaging in negative advertising and personal attacks. However, the court battle between Ciattarelli and Sherrill is expected to be just another flashpoint in the election.
Ciattarelli's campaign has maintained that it will hire outside attorneys to handle the lawsuit, which will likely exceed the $25,000 limit set by state election law. Sherrill's campaign, on the other hand, continues to back her comments about Ciattarelli's business record, with its own website highlighting information about his past.
The court battle is now just another aspect of a contest that has seen both candidates try to outmaneuver each other in recent weeks. As Election Day approaches, voters will be watching the developments closely and seeing how this latest exchange plays out.
. It's like they're just trying to keep the mud slung back and forth between Ciattarelli and Sherrill going, rather than focusing on actual policy issues or engaging with voters in a more substantive way 
. And what's even more concerning is that this sets a precedent for future elections, where candidates can essentially spend their own money to litigate these kinds of personal attacks 
. It feels like they're just throwing money at the problem rather than trying to find a solution that actually benefits the people of New Jersey 
. Still, I gotta admit, it's not surprising given how divisive and negative this election has become 
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also, why do we need another lawsuit in the middle of an election? can't they just focus on the issues instead of attacking each other personally? 
anyway, i'm low-key excited for this drama to play out - it's gonna be good entertainment on election day 
? Was it really just an opinion or was there something more to it? And how's this going to affect the election in the end? Only time will tell 
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. Can't we focus on the issues that really matter? Like, what are their real plans for New Jersey? What kind of leadership can we expect from them?
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. Can't we all just get along? 
I'm not surprised by Ciattarelli going after Sherrill like that though - it's politics as usual. The question is, what are they hiding? 
We need more transparency in these kinds of dealings, not less. And what about Sherrill's comments about Ciattarelli's business background? Was she just trying to discredit him or was there something to the allegations? 
my heart goes out to Mikie Sherrill, she's going through so much stress and anxiety over this defamation lawsuit... i mean who wants to spend their campaign time dealing with lawyers and court battles instead of focusing on the real issues that matter? 
what if this lawsuit ends up being a distraction from the real problems in New Jersey, like the opioid crisis and healthcare? 
i just hope Mikie stays strong and focused on what really matters - serving the people of New Jersey. 
And now that he's gonna be spending his own money on it, I'm not sure if it's even worth it for the campaign. Just seems like a waste of resources to me 
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. We just had common sense and a willingness to work together for the greater good 
. I wish more politicians today would take a page out of that book and focus on doing what's best for everyone, rather than just trying to win an election 
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what's going on with these politicians? can't they just stick to the issues instead of resorting to mudslinging 
. Both campaigns are already so salty about each other, I'm surprised they're not trading barbs in a reality TV show 
. But seriously, who wins this battle? Ciattarelli is gonna spend his own cash to sue Sherrill over some comments made during a debate... meanwhile, both of their teams are just waiting for the next zinger 
. It's like they're all playing a game of "who can be the most petty" 
. I mean, come on, Mikie Sherrill was just stating her opinion – is that really defamation? 
. We need to fact-check more and stop letting these lawsuits distract us from the real issues at hand 
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seriously tho think about it if this is allowed to happen before election day its just another example of politicians trying to silence their opponents instead of having real debates 