COUNTY COMMISSIONER PAT LEPORE STATEMENT ON MAGA JERRY SPEZIALE’S CANDIDACY

PASSAIC COUNTY– Passaic County Commissioner Pat Lepore today released the following statement in response to MAGA Jerry Speziale’s kickoff announcement to run for County Sheriff against the Democratic ticket, refusing to even come before the Democratic committee.

MAGA Jerry said at his kickoff that his four decades of experience taught him about ‘compassion, respect and understanding in serving and protecting all communities.’

“Simply put, that’s got to be a joke,” said Lepore.  “MAGA Jerry colluded with top Republicans, including Chris Christie, to strand county Democrats the last time he was Sheriff. In fact, I was one of the Democrats MAGA Jerry abandoned in 2010, so I got to see the impact of his actions first-hand. Fortunately, with Chairman Currie’s leadership, we were able to overcome MAGA Jerry and his Christie supported politics.”

Lepore continued, “That MAGA Jerry lied to a reporter when he said he would donate his Democratic campaign contributions, ‘For my sick wife-cancer UMDNJ, the needy children, baseball, soccer, kids, sports which I believe in, etc.’ shows his lack of character and why he should never be in any elected office again.”

Proclaiming “we need real problem-solvers in Washington, D.C., leaders who will actually get things done,” MAGA Jerry previously endorsed Pennsylvania Congressman Dan Meuser, a proudly pro-Trump election denier and staunch advocate in the fight to strip away women’s rights.

MAGA Jerry also endorsed a Republican for Sheriff against then-candidate Richard Berdnik in 2013, and allowed his name to appear on a mailer endorsing the Republican candidate for Surrogate in 2021.

As Sheriff, Speziale also oversaw a fifty percent increase in the department’s budget resulting in massive tax increases for Passaic County residents. Then-Sheriff Speziale fostered a dysfunctional work environment where lawsuits were rampant and millions of dollars in settlements and attorney’s fees were wasted to clean-up for his failed leadership.

Lepore continued, “MAGA Jerry’s statements of compassion, respect and understanding should be taken for what they are, campaign lies from a person with a career of saying or doing anything to get to his next spot. Taxpayers in Passaic County are still digging out of the mess left behind by Speziale because of his failed leadership.”

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