By The Staff
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Bergen County Republicans are notorious for hating one another more than the Democrats.
On Monday, that penchant for internal-warfare again spilled out into the open, this time over use of the BCRO’s Hackensack headquarters.
“As most of you know, I have refrained from responding to the incessant incoherent emails from former officers which are filled with false statements. At the appropriate time I will address each of those statements,” Chairman DiGaetano announced in an email blast. “There is, however, one BCRO matter that needs to be clarified immediately. Recently Mayor Rendo requested the use of the BCRO headquarters for a March 6th meeting of a “Committee” which he organized. The request was deemed inappropriate and denied. Below is my email response on that matter which speaks for itself.”
DiGaetano is referring to ongoing attacks leveled by allies of former BCRO leader Bob Yudin (and often the former chair himself) which have been consistent since the DiGaetano’s summer 2016 victory but which have increased in frequency and intensity since the former GOP Majority Leader’s failed 2017 State Senate bid which many detractors viewed as a self-serving and destructive diversion.
Mayor Carlos Rendo of Woodcliff Lake was the NJGOP’s 2017 lieutenant governor nominee. He’s taken it upon himself to organize local Republicans with the stated goal of revitalizing the long-defunct county party and, allegedly, consider possible DiGaetano successors.
“…[i]t was brought to my attention that one of the stated purposes of your most recent Committee meeting in Woodcliff Lake was advertised as a forum for the Committee to hear from and to review possible candidates for County Chair,” DiGaetano opined in the email sent directly to Rendo (and subsequently shared with the entire BCRO email list). “I have also been informed that Sen. Cardinale admonished the assembled Committee during that meeting that it is solely within the purview of the elected and duly appointed County Committee Members to elect a County Chair as provided under NJ State Law, specifically, Title 19. The process of nominating the Chairperson and other BCRO officers will officially commence when the Nominating Committee issues its report at the April meeting. Accordingly, your Committee’s intervention in this process might be construed as acting to usurp the authority of the duly elected and seated County Committee members.”
Possible DiGaetano replacements/successors include Former Hacksensack Mayor Jack Zisa, New Milford Councilwoman Kelly Langschultz, District 38 Party Chair Jim Arkelian, former LD38 Senate candidate Fernando Alonso, and Rendo himself.
Republicans home to refocus the party in short order to give this year’s county ticket, headed by Norman Schmelz, a fighting chance in November.
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