Bergen County Republican Organization's election was invalid, judge rules
A judge in Bergen County ruled Friday that the county's Republican organization held an illegal election this year and can’t conduct business as usual until a new election is held.
The decision by Superior Court Judge Estela de la Cruz said the Bergen County Republican Organization and its current chair and officers are “restrained from making any decision or taking any other action” that an authorized board of a county party organization could typically take until a new election is held.
The date for that new election will not be set until sometime in the new year.
The decision comes as a result of a lawsuit filed by Robert Taschler on July 19. His suit alleged that the organizational elections were scheduled for June 1, a week before the municipal county committee elections were to be held on June 8. Taschler contended that he was therefore appointed to the New Milford Republican Municipal Committee and the county Republican organization instead of elected.
In May, Taschler objected to the June 1 date to the New Milford committee and individual county organization members but not during a meeting at county headquarters. The election was held June 1 and Taschler filed suit in July, naming the organization, Chairman Jack Zisa and nine other Cabinet members. The suit contends that the election must be held after the primary, citing state statute, which says the county committee should meet the first Tuesday after the primary.
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Attorneys for the organization said Taschler didn’t have the standing to bring the case forward and that he is an “interloper with insufficient interest in the matter.”
In her decision, De la Cruz said the “harm effectuated is the BCRO’s decisive deviation from the statutory timeframe and the BCRO conducting its county committee activities as it deemed appropriate, seemingly without deference to the law and based on its own preference.”
The BCRO is responsible for fundraising for Republican candidates, among other functions.
Taschler’s attorney, Debra Guston, said they are “pleased that the New Jersey election laws, which are clear and intended to assure free and fair elections, are being enforced."
Neither Zisa nor organization attorney Leonard Seaman responded to requests for comment.
Katie Sobko is a local reporter for NorthJersey.com. For unlimited access to the most important news from your local community, please subscribe or activate your digital account today.
Email: sobko@northjersey.com
Twitter: @katesobko
This article originally appeared on NorthJersey.com: Bergen County state judge says Republican election was invalid
