Burlington County GOP Chairman Bill Layton this afternoon criticized Lieutenant Governor Kim Guadagno’s campaign in the aftermath of the LG’s failed attempt to bounce her rival, Assemblyman Jack Ciattarelli (R-16).

“The Lt. Governor should be embarrassed,” Layton said. “This bogus challenge proves how panicked she and her team are about the primary.  Frankly, that a two-term Lt. Governor is in such a weak position coming out of the conventions speaks volumes about her candidacy.

Layton took particular time to criticize Guadagno’s choice of friends, including Ocean County Republican Chairman George Gilmore, who accompanied her along the trail during convention season.

“She should also be embarrassed by the phony fraud allegations made against a few young Republican staffers and volunteers,” Layton added, a reference to the petition harvesters fingered in Guadagno’s letter to the Divison of Elections. “The Lt. Governor is willing to go after them, but sees nothing wrong with herself traveling the state side-by-side with a political boss under federal investigation, who owes millions in taxes to the IRS?    

“Frankly, this whole challenge feels like a distraction by the Guadagno campaign to get the focus off of her problems, and on to something else,” the BurlCo chair added. “It is already backfiring.”