“Business As Usual” In Camden County

Nowhere else in New Jersey would a guy who admitted to punching his girlfriend be called a mentor

HADDON HEIGHTS – Camden County Republican Chairman Rich Ambrosino’s immediate response after reading a report that former Assemblyman Arthur Barclay met with George Norcross was simply, “Just wow!”

“What’s wrong with this guy that he goes on Facebook and posts a photo of himself with George Norcross and, at the time, the Assistant Chief of the Camden County Police Department and captions the photo with ‘Business as usual,’” Rich Ambrosino said. “He had to know that after resigning from the assembly in disgrace that photo with ‘business as usual’ sends a really bad message.”

Ambrosino continued, “Frankly, I don’t know if Barclay calling it “business as usual’ or the fact George Norcross referred to him as a ‘mentor to many children in the City of Camden’ is worse. Nowhere else in New Jersey would a guy who admitted to punching his girlfriend be called a ‘mentor’ to anyone.”

“To make the claim that Barclay ‘promptly resigned’ from the Assembly is laughable. Perhaps with all the stress of fighting with the Governor, Mr. Norcross forgot there was nothing prompt about it.” Ambrosino explained, “It took 11 days from arrest to resignation. And, even then, the claim was that Barclay resigned for ‘health reasons.’ Apparently, Barclay’s health has greatly improved given the fact he went from being employed by the county as a supervisor in the Department of Events and Community Outreach to a new position as a confidential assistant in the Division of Senior and Disabled Services.”

“After Barclay resigned from the Assembly the county spokesman said the arrest would be investigated as a personnel matter.” Ambrosino said, “I think it is time for someone to explain how that investigation led to Arthur Barclay being moved into a new job in county government and a pay raise. Was it simply business as usual?”