Judge stops stolen Rockaway election

A Superior Court Judge has ordered the immediate certification of a Rockaway Township man as the holder of a Republican county committee seat after the municipal clerk, Adele Wadleigh, initially failed to declare the candidate with the most votes as the winner.

“There is no dispute of fact,” said Stuart Minkowitz, the Morris County assignment judge.  “The voters and candidate should not be prejudiced by the technical error of the town clerk.”

The rapid ruling will allow Brian Wittig, who received six write-in votes – no other votes were cast in the June 10 primary – to take part in the Rockaway Township Republican organization meeting on July 1.

In an email to the New Jersey Globe, Wadleigh acknowledged that she made a mistake in not certifying Wittig, but denied that he motive was politically motivated.  She said she’d been busy juggling other duties in the clerk’s office and “simply overlooked” the final election results.

Still, an hour or so before Minkowitz’s ruling, John Iaciofano, the township attorney and the miniaturized local political boss, doubled down and opposed Wittig’s certification by Wadleigh by suggesting that Wittig had other options besides going to court to defend his electoral victory.

“The plaintiff may simply achieve appointment to the Republican County Committee by appointment, Iaciofano said in a court filing.

As township attorney, Iaciofano had no authority to assure Wittig’s appointment, although as a mini-boss, he might be able to guarantee it.

Wadleigh blamed Morris County Clerk Ann Grossi, who stated that she could not certify Wittig as the winner because the municipal clerk had missed the statutory deadline.

She also blamed Wittig.

“Filing this litigation was unnecessary and an attempt to embarrass my office and Rockaway Township,” she said in her court filing.

There are inconsistencies in Wadleigh’s story.  She told Minkowitz that she was awaiting provisional and mail-in ballots, even though she knew on June 10 that Wittig had received three machine votes — enough to secure his victory unless more votes were cast by VBM and provisional.

Wittig spent $300 to file a challenge to protect his election from being taken away from him, plus additional costs to serve papers since Wadleigh ignored an email seeking permission to receive service electronically, the New Jersey Globe has learned.

Wadleigh, a former teacher with no prior experience in municipal government, was appointed municipal clerk late last year at a salary of $ 95,000 per year.  She will receive a $10,000 raise if she successfully completes the state certification process.

Councilwoman Rachael Brookes, the GOP municipal chair, helped Wadleigh get the job.  Brookes was ousted in the Republican primary by Tucker Kelley, a former council president, in a landslide.  Wittig is a Kelley ally.

While Wittig emailed Brookes on Thursday afternoon, advising her that he was mounting a legal challenge to be seated.  She ignored an email this morning asking if she would accept electronic service.  She didn’t respond until after Minkowitz’s ruling, offering to appoint him – which would require the consent of the full county committee, after the judge had already ordered the enforcement of his election.