Former Lyndhurst school board member Chris Musto has dropped his bid for the Republican nomination for Bergen County Sheriff.
“Unfortunately, I can no longer move forward,” Musto said. “I had been expecting to retire already, but there was a mix-up with paperwork at my office my date has been moved to June. I will remain involved and get back to work on helping our county in about 90 days.
Musto finished third in a vote of the Bergen County Republican Policy Committee on Monday; the panel recommended the endorsement of Saddle Brook Police Chief Robert Kugler by a vote of 36-17 against Michael Devine, a former Bergen County police officer. Musto received 11 votes.
The decision on which candidate will receive the organization line will be made at the party’s convention on March 19.
Musto had abruptly resigned from the local school board in late 2017, citing demands at his federal law enforcement pos. He was not seeking re-election and had two months left on his term.
Kugler appears headed toward a rematch with Bergen County Sheriff Anthony Cureton. His 2021 campaign was derailed by an indictment alleging that he detailed police escorts for funeral processions to cemeteries involving a local funeral home he owns.
Superior Court Judge Marilyn Clark dismissed the charges against Kugler one year later after finding that embattled Deputy Attorney General Eric Cohen, who prosecuted Kugler for the Office of Public Integrity and Accountability (OPIA), left out critical information that might have benefited the suspended police chief to the grand jury that indicted him. Cohen is no longer employed by the attorney general’s office.
Then-Attorney General Gurbir Grewal announced charges against Kugler in March 2021 after he had already joined the race for sheriff. The indictment came on September 24, just as vote-by-mail ballots had gone out.