Ciattarelli hits Murphy over Brennan settlement’s cost to state

Republican gubernatorial candidate Jack Ciattarelli attacked Gov. Phil Murphy over a $1 million settlement agreement reached with Katie Brennan over the handling of her sexual assault allegation against Al Alvarez.

“Let me see if I get this. New Jersey taxpayers are being forced to pick up 80% of the tab for Governor Murphy’s animal house campaign atmosphere, that then bled into his Administration,” Ciattarelli said. “Is the governor kidding me?”

The state will pay 80% of the settlement, while insurance carriers for the Murphy campaign, which was named as a respondent in Brennan’s suit, will pay 20% of the cost.

Alvarez, whom Brennan has accused of sexually assaulting her in April 2017, when he was in charge of Muslim and Latino outreach for Murphy for Governor, will not contribute to the settlement.

Murphy called the settlement a “fair and meaningful” one Friday, though he declined to comment further.

“These were his personnel decisions. He’s a hypocrite for not having his campaign pay the cost or paying for it out of his own pocket,” Ciattarelli said. “Murphy spent tens of millions of his own money to get himself elected. Asking taxpayers to pay for this settlement is the ultimate insult.”