GOP COUNCIL CANDIDATES SUES OVER MISLEADING FLIER

GOP COUNCIL CANDIDATES SUES OVER

MISLEADING POLITICAL FLIER

Second Year In A Row Democrats Sued ForDefaming Republican Candidates

Trawinski 201 797-4157

Elmwood Park NJ.; Nov. 2, 2008 -- Councilman Richard Trawinski is filing suit against a sitting Democratic Councilman Frank Caramagna and two Democratic council candidates charging them with defamation of character for statements made in a political flier that Trawinski says are “derogatory and designed to mislead voters about my character and my record.” 

The suit to be filed Monday in Superior Court charges that Caramagna and the Democrat council candidates, their treasurer and the campaign organization prepared and distributed a campaign flyer in which they made false and defamatory statements accusing Trawinski of obtaining political favoritism in getting a zone change in 1994 for a real estate parcel he owned. The flier said the zone change was approved by the “then Republican Council.”

But, says Trawinski, the make up of the council at the time was only two Republicans and four Democrats –including Caramagna. Two of the Republican council members at the time: Robert Colletti and Jan Czerpak recused themselves from votes on the zoning requests because of business relationships with Trawinski. However, all four Democrats on the council voted to approve the rezoning request including Councilmen Caramagna,   Joseph Mongelli, and Jack McLaughlin.

The property was rezoned to make way for 187 senior citizen housing units  - built  at no cost to taxpayers  -- that could generate up to $800,000 in new taxes for the borough without impacting the school system.

The three count complaint alleged that the Democrats knew of the make up of the council and that the zone change was approved by the Democrats, not the Republicans. The three count complaints asks for punitive damages and a mandatory injunction compelling defendants to issue a written apology for their false and defamatory statements about Councilman Trawinski, who was unanimously appointed to the council this year to fill an unexpired term.

FAMILIAR SUIT   

The borough Democrats were sued last year for trying to exploit the same project in Democrat campaign literature.  Former Councilman Robert Colletti – a business partner with Trawinski -- filed a suit  last May against five local Democrats for publishing knowingly false and malicious information about him during  the 2006 borough council campaign.

The 2007 suit involved a similar campaign letter and a flier which falsely accused Colletti of conflicts of interest and accused Colletti of engaging in “criminal and unethical behavior,” according to the court papers filed by Colletti. That suit is still pending.

Sitting Democratic Councilman Jack McLaughlin said he was appalled when he read the latest flier, because it is untrue. He says: “I was never opposed to senior housing on that site. I  believes that is the best possible use for that piece of property for the people of Elmwood Park.”  

  “The continued reckless disregard for the truth by the Elmwood Park Democratic Party must not go unchallenged,” said Trawinski, whose brother Ed, a Fair Lawn councilman and attorney filed the suit.  

“You would have thought that by now common sense and common decency would have prevailed upon the local Democrat Party to stop misusing the truth in a ploy to destroy the character and integrity of  their political opponents, but that is apparently not the case,”  said Rich Trawinski, a borough resident for 55 years.

“Like Bob Colletti, I have worked hard to build a solid reputation as an honest businessman and contributor to the community. I will not have that reputation destroyed by people who want to win a local election at all costs, regardless of the truth,” added the councilman.

PAY THE PRICE FOR LIES  

Attorney Ed Trawinski said it is important to make those who traffic in lies, half truths and character assassination to pay a price for their excesses.

“The people’s trust in the political process has become greatly damaged because of the continued barrage of character assaults that are based, most often on little more than casual associations with the facts,” said the attorney, whose father was a councilman in Elmwood Park.   

“The lies and defaming distortions that have become too common in Bergen County politics are  a major reason why people are turned off to politics and good people of high integrity do not want to seek office, “ added  Ed Trawinski. “We need to make those who traffic in lies and defamation accountable.”

“Given the tone of the Bergen County Democratic campaigns the past 10 years, it’s no wonder that people are being elected to office who are unwilling to be truthful and too willing to advance their political careers at all costs.

“It’s not hard to see why our county government is under federal investigation for official corruption,” added the attorney.  “Corruption starts with the tone and demeanor of the campaigns. If a candidate is willing to do anything or say anything to get elected, what will he or she do to stay in office?”