Morris County Surrogate Candidate Michael Thompson Disputes Darling Statements

Why Does Darling Want a Job She Doesn’t Appear to Understand?

MENDHAM, NJ (Oct. 27, 2019)—Michael Thompson, the Democratic candidate for Morris County Surrogate, has issued the following statement in response to an article published by New Jersey Hills media that misrepresents his distinguished legal career as a trusts and estates attorney in practice for more than twenty years.

“On October 23, New Jersey Hills Media published an article about the Surrogate’s race following interviews with both me and my opponent, Freeholder Heather Darling. In the article, Darling refers to me as a “tax preparer” and says tax preparation is the ‘bulk of my experience.’

These statements are false and were known to be false by NJ Hills Media. I have worked exclusively as a trusts and estates attorney for more than twenty years. My experience as a lawyer and my legal resume are well established, indisputable and completely verifiable. The same cannot be said for my opponent, who according to her website, is primarily a criminal and divorce attorney.

While Ms. Darling’s attempts to misrepresent my experience are clearly intended to distract the media and voters from her equally indisputable and verifiable lack of experience in the areas of law handled by the Surrogate Court, more concerning for voters should be Ms. Darling’s lack of understanding of the role and purview of the Surrogate Court, and her motives for wanting a job she seems to know little about.

Ms. Darling claims she wants to serve as Surrogate to address issues such as ‘seniors being scammed’ and ‘taken advantage of.’ Protecting seniors from scams, while laudable, is not a role of the Surrogate. The Surrogate’s core mission is the administration of estates and trusts, guardianships and adoptions. In fact, the issues that Ms. Darling purports to want to address as Surrogate are very much the purview of the job she already has as a Morris County Freeholder. It begs the question:

Why does Ms. Darling want to give up her Freeholder position, in which she can actually accomplish her stated goals of protecting seniors, for a job that does not provide that platform? The Surrogate is an elected office, but it is not a partisan political position. Why is a high-profile politician interested in, and pursuing, the very low-profile role of a constitutional officer?

It is a disservice to voters that the media is not asking Ms. Darling these questions.

Finally, Ms. Darling comments that the Surrogate should be someone “who could tell me what’s going to happen before I even walk into that office.” While that statement is difficult to decipher, it should be noted that estates and trusts attorneys are regularly faced with unique facts and circumstances that require us to use all of our experience and expertise to solve novel issues. This comment from Ms. Darling again exposes her lack of understanding of the Surrogate’s Court and estates and trusts.

People come to the Surrogate’s office during the most difficult times of their lives. They are seeking professional guidance through complex legal matters often related to the incapacitation or death of a loved one. They need a lawyer with the necessary expertise. They need a practitioner, not a politician.”

########

For more information: https://thompsonformorris.com https://www.facebook.com/ThompsonForMorrisCountySurrogate/