Conservatives Claim 'Dirty Politics' in Council Race

A campaign mailer that reached Gloucester Township homes this week has conservatives accusing a political action committee with strong Democratic Party ties of playing dirty politics just days before the 2011 Township Council election.

Republican candidates say the mailer is also an indication the lone independent candidate in the race actually is in cahoots with their Democratic opposition.

Independent Darren Gladden does not view himself as a spoiler in the race. He says he is in it to win one of the four Council seats up for grabs in next Tuesday's election, not help the Democrats, as the Republicans are asserting, or even the Republicans.

Pointing to his use of "Conservative Independent" as a ballot slogan and perhaps concerned Gladden could steal enough votes from GOP candidates to hand the Democrats a victory, many Republicans had previously labeled the Valleybrook resident a spoiler.

A Republican campaign statement says Gladden "is supported by the Democrats as a spoiler candidate to derail the election."

The Gladden-as-a-spoiler conversation gained significant momentum mid-week when the mailer, which states it was paid for by the Gloucester Township Citizens for Responsible Government political action committee (PAC), reached township homes.

The mailer reads, in part, that "Darren S. Gladden is the only real conservative candidate for Township Council." It also says Gladden will reduce taxes, cut wasteful spending and restore fiscal responsibility.

Gladden refuted any connection to the mailer.

"I feel the Democrats are trying to make me look like a spoiler candidate," Gladden said when contacted Thursday morning.

"I never gave anyone approval for this," he added. "If you look at the picture, you can tell it's Photoshopped. It's blurry."

Council Vice President Orlando Mercado, whose Democratic running mates in the 2011 election include three-term incumbent Council President Glen Bianchini, former councilman Sam Siler and newcomer Tracey Trotto, asserted his campaign had no involvement with the Gladden mailer to his knowledge.

"I am unaware of any mailer being sent out other than what I saw on Facebook (Thursday) morning," Mercado said, referring to Gladden using the now-controversial mailer as his profile picture and comments by conservative activist Joshua Berry.

Mary Frances McGinniss, treasurer of the local Citizens for Responsible Government PAC, did not return a message seeking comment about the Gladden mailer.

McGinniss answered the telephone at her Little Gloucester Road home when Patch contacted her at about 9:45 a.m. Thursday, but asked that she be called back in an hour and a half. That second call, placed shortly after 11 a.m., went unanswered.

Supporters of the Republican Party's four candidates aren't so sure Gladden wasn't involved with the mailer's publication.

"I don't know if Darren had anything to do with it, but he has been attacking us on Facebook for the last couple of weeks," Mike Martin, campaign manager for the Republican slate of Sam Garro, Teddy Liddell, Linda Musser and Erica Weissmann, said late Thursday morning.

The Republicans sent out a press advisory Thursday afternoon announcing a Saturday press conference in which they intend to present documentation of "obvious connections" between Gladden and the Democrats. The press conferene is scheduled for noon at the Republican Party's Cherry Hill headquarters.

Tom Crone, founder and executive director of South Jersey Citizens, a conservative government watchdog group, expressed dismay over the mailer and the controversy it has caused, labeling the action "pure hokum."

"It's dirty politics. This is the reason people hate politicians," he said.

Crone has stressed throughout campaign season that, while personally a friend of Gladden's, SJC does not support Gladden, or anyone else in the Council race for that matter.

When asked who he felt was behind the mailer, he replied: "I don't know. All I know is who is on there (Citizens for Responsible Government). All I know is this is someone playing dirty politics. This is someone playing a dirty, last-minute trick."

Gloucester Township Citizens for Responsible Government is listed by the New Jersey Election Law Enforcement Commission as an independent, ideological PAC.

ELEC campaign finance reports from prior years show the PAC has supported Democratic candidates. ELEC reports also indicate Herman B. Engelbert, former head of the Gloucester Township Democratic Committee and current treasurer of the Camden County Utilities Authority, is the PAC's chairman.