Controversial political operative Jason Carty is denying that he is involved in the Mount Holly fire commissioner’s race, even though the wife of candidate Tom Rossell publicly said Carty is helping her husband get elected.
Carty, the suspended Mount Holly fire director who faces criminal charges involving allegedly fraudulent nominating petitions, disputed New Jersey Globe reporting that he is backing Rossell in the November election.
But a Facebook post by Rossell’s wife directly contradicts Carty’s account.
“Yes, Jason Carty is helping him get elected, but he is in nobody’s pocket,” she wrote in a post announcing her husband’s candidacy.
The post, published under the account name “Tom N Loretta Rossell,” identified its author as Rossell’s wife and described him as a volunteer firefighter for 47 years.
Carty’s effort to distance himself from the campaign comes as he navigates two pending criminal matters.
Earlier this month, the Burlington County Prosecutor’s Office charged Carty and his wife, Lumberton Township Committeewoman Gina LaPlaca, in connection with allegedly fraudulent signatures submitted on LaPlaca’s nominating petition for the June Democratic primary.
Investigators said several people whose names appeared on the petition reported that they had neither signed it nor authorized anyone else to sign for them. Prosecutors alleged that LaPlaca would not have qualified for the ballot without the disputed signatures.
Carty was charged with knowingly filing a false petition, two counts of tampering with public records or information, and falsifying or tampering with records. LaPlaca faces those charges and an additional count of making a false statement under oath.
Both are scheduled to make their first Superior Court appearances on September 21.
Carty also faces a pending aggravated-assault-by-strangulation charge stemming from an alleged domestic incident involving LaPlaca in May.
LaPlaca subsequently recanted her accusation in a sworn statement, saying she had been under the influence, that Carty did not assault her, and that she wanted the charges dismissed. The charge remains pending.
Carty insisted that Rossell’s wife was wrong about his involvement in her husband’s campaign.
“I am not backing any fire district candidates in Mount Holly,” Carty told the New Jersey Globe. “In fact, I’m not backing any candidates in any election. There is zero proof of me backing anyone.”
Carty initially blamed incumbent Fire Commissioner Rosemarie Logue for the reporting, calling her a “Trump Republican” and demanding that the New Jersey Globe retract its account.
But the claim that Carty was helping Rossell came from Rossell’s wife, not Logue.
Asked about her Facebook post, Carty suggested she had fabricated his involvement.
“She must be posting that to get a rise out of ppl,” Carty said. “I have never discussed the campaign with her or her husband.”
“I don’t even know her, and I don’t have either of their phone numbers,” he added. “I have zero to do with any campaigns/elections anymore.”
The New Jersey Globe stands by its report that Carty supports Rossell.
Carty said he contacted Tom and Loretta Rossell after the Facebook post appeared and asked them to remove his name.
“With the current politically motivated prosecution against me, why would I engage in any political activities?” Carty asked. “I sent them a Facebook message to please remove my name from their posts. He’s a fireman and has zero to do with politics. Probably wanted my help but I can’t help him.”
Gary Brotz, another candidate for fire commissioner, said the conflicting accounts raise questions about Rossell’s nominating petitions and warrant additional scrutiny.
“Given the public statements that Jason Carty is running Rossell’s campaign — Carty’s own criminal charges related to alleged petition fraud for falsely providing information on a petition — we are calling for an investigation into Rossell’s petitions and determine whether all information submitted was accurate and truthful,” Brotz said.
There has been no allegation by law enforcement that Rossell’s petition contained fraudulent signatures or that Carty participated in preparing it.
Brotz also accused Rossell of failing to defend Mount Holly’s volunteer firefighters amid continued conflict surrounding the fire district.
“Rossell has stood silently by while our volunteer firefighters have been attacked by Carty and his allies,” Brotz said. “If elected, there is every reason to believe Rossell would continue that assault on the dedicated volunteers who serve our community.”
“Mount Holly needs Fire Commissioners who will stand with our firefighters—not commissioners who will protect or advance the interests of political friends at the expense of the volunteers who keep our community safe,” he added.
Carty has been suspended from his fire director position and placed on administrative leave for months. An independent investigation recommended his termination, but a resolution to fire him failed after one commissioner voted in favor, another opposed it, one abstained, and two recused themselves.
Rossell’s candidacy survived a Superior Court challenge yesterday after he wrote “N/A” instead of providing a campaign email address on his nominating petition.
The challenge was filed by Jim Logue, whose wife, Rosemarie, is the incumbent commissioner Rossell is seeking to unseat.
Superior Court Judge John Harrington ruled that Rossell could remain on the November ballot, concluding that the missing email address was a curable technical defect rather than a substantive failure that invalidated his candidacy.
Representing Rossell at yesterday’s hearing was former Plainfield Mayor Mark Furey, who is also Carty’s lawyer.