Morris GOP official wants leaker to come forward

Morris County Republican vice chair Laura Ali Nonnenmacher wants the Republican official who revealed information about the party’s fundraising plans to turn themselves in.

“We thought it was a good meeting but unfortunately it is disappointing, that someone who was in attendance today, breached our ethical standard of confidentiality that is standard with all executive committee meetings,” Ali Nonnenmacher wrote in an e-mail to Morris GOP leaders that was obtained by the New Jersey Globe.  “We hope that whoever it was, will come forward and talk to us directly as to whatever concerns she or he may have.  Unfortunately, this happened during our last meeting as well.”

Ali Nonnenmacher was referring to a New Jersey Globe report that she said was “published immediately after our meeting concluded.”

In a meeting of executive board members, municipal chairs and other party officials, Morris County GOP chairman Ron DeFilippis announced that organization is signing up a bunch of celebrities to make paid appearances at Morris Republican fundraisers in 2019.

Among the star power DeFilippis is bring in: Lynette Hardaway and Rochelle Richardson, social media personalities known as Diamond and Silk; conservative commentators Katie Pavlich and Tomi Lahren; and Fox News personality Jeanine Pirro.

Leaks of the fundraising plan has apparently annoyed Ali Nonnenmacher.

“This unethical and party destructive behavior is the exact opposite of what we are all working so hard to build and will make it increasingly difficult for us to remain a Republican county,” Ali Nonnenmacher wrote.  She also included a copy of Ronald Reagan’s 11th commandment, which discourages Republicans trashing other Republicans.

Last year, DeFilippis refused to coordinate campaign strategies with the Republican candidates for freeholder unless they signed a non-disclosure agreement.  They all declined.

In the same e-mail, Ali Nonnenmacher continued to deny that the party lost money on a 2018 event headlined by Fox News personality Greg Gutfeld.  Gutfeld was paid $30,000 to appear, according to reports filed with the New Jersey Election Law Enforcement Commission.

“Our Greg Gutfeld event last February raised $100,000, had over 200 new people in attendance in a snow storm, and profited over $30,000,” Ali Nonnenmacher said.

Reports filed by the Morris County Republican Committee dispute Ali Nonnenmacher’s numbers, unless the party failed to disclose contributions.

The county GOP organization raised $58,335 at an event that cost them more than $64,000.  The spent $24,487 at Trump National and paid Fox News personality Greg Gutfeld $30,000 to speak.  Republicans repaid a $10,000 loan from State Sen. from State Sen. Joseph Pennacchio (R-Montville), but still owe $10,000 to DeFilippis, who loaned the money to help make a down payment on Gutfeld’s appearance.

DeFilippis repaid his own $10,000 loan last year, using part of the $30,000 contributed to the party by Republican U.S. Senate candidate Bob Hugin.