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Politics & Government

Freeholder Candidate: Elected Officials Who Are County Employees Violate Federal Law

Freeholders, MUA directors, councilmen reply that accusation is unfounded, 'political theater'

Public employees who also serve as elected officials or are candidates in coming races came under fire recently from a freeholder candidate.

Administrators for the two largest municipal utilities authorities in Ocean County, and two county employees who are running for mayor in their hometowns, are violating the federal Hatch Act because the agencies that employ them receive federal funds, Democratic freeholder hopeful Michele Rosen of Waretown charged at a recent freeholder meeting.

“It’s ludicrous. My salary isn’t paid with federal funds,’’ said Freeholder James F. Lacey of Brick Township, who also is executive director of the Brick MUA.

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“Here’s a candidate who cannot even pay her own bills throwing spitballs all over the place,’’ Lacey added.

Ocean County College, where Rosen is an adjunct professor, receives federal funds, he said. Using Rosen’s reasoning, she too would be barred from a partisan campaign, Lacey said.

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Rosen said in a prepared statement that she filed complaints with the U.S. Special Council on May 16 claiming Lacey and Brick Mayor Steve Acropolis, who is executive director of the Toms River MUA, are violating the Hatch Act because both administer federal funds.

Neither is a candidate this year, but she claimed the fact that both have “open campaign accounts,’’ invokes the prohibitions of the law.

Acropolis said in a statement that his position as MUA director does not leave him in violation of any laws.

"My position with the Toms River Municipal Utilities Authority is not a violation of the Hatch Act because my salary is not derived from any federal funds. Also, I am not running for office this year," Acropolis said. "While I understand why she would attempt to deflect attention from her personal history, Ms. Rosen should respect the voters of Ocean County by sticking to issues that are pertinent to the campaign for freeholder."

Rosen also asked the feds to investigate Beachwood mayoral candidate Ronald Roma, who directs the county’s security force, and Carmen Amato, who is running for mayor in Berkeley and directs the county’s Office of Printing and Graphics.

Roma’s department is funded in part with federal Homeland Security funds, Rosen said. Amato’s department prints brochures for county law enforcers, the Ocean Ride system and the Ocean County Health Department, all of which receive federal funds.

Amato said he had not been contacted about any of Rosen's allegations.

"I will not allow this obvious political theater by the Democratic party to distract me in anyway from fulfilling my duties as a councilman," Amato said. "In fact, this frivolous action, which has no merit whatsoever, has invigorated me to work even harder as I campaign for Berkeley Township mayor."

Roma, who also is a Beachwood councilman, called Rosen's charge "absolute nonsense."

"My department is completely county-funded," he said.

Roma said he had checked with county Counsel John C. Sahradnik and Beachwood attorney William T. Hiering Jr. to make sure he was not violating any laws and both assured him he was not.

"I immediately looked into it," he said. "I think this is just some sort of political gamesmanship being played."

“It’s political theater,’’ said Freeholder John P. Kelly, dismissing Rosen’s charge.

Rosen said if federal investigators find evidence of a violation of the law Lacey and Acropolis could be forced to close their campaign accounts, and Roma and Amato to chose between their jobs and their campaigns for mayor.

Editors Dan Nee, Catherine Galioto and Patricia Miller contributed to this report.

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