D.C. Super PAC gets involved in Parsippany council race

PARSIPPANY – A mysterious flier mailed to many township residents from a Washington D.C.-based political action committee with ties to liberal causes — and endorsing three Republican primary council candidates in Parsippany — has created confusion for those candidates and outrage from their opponents.

Longtime Councilman Michael dePierro, who leads a three-person ticket in his re-election bid, says he has had no contact with New Jersey's Future First and was first apprised of the flier when an acquaintance in Lake Hiawatha showed it to him.

"In my 38 years in government, this is a first," dePierro said Thursday. "I have no idea who these people are."

Council President Paul Carifi Jr., who is leading his own Republican ticket for re-election, issued a statement demanding an explanation from dePierro and his running mates, former Councilman Vincent Ferrara and businesswoman Loretta Gragnani.

"That Republican candidates would call themselves 'true conservatives' and then secure the backing of a liberal super PAC that is aligned with Barack Obama and Hillary Clinton, as well as other liberal candidates and organizations across the country, is offensive to every Republican voter in Parsippany," Carifi said in his statement.

The flier, which has a picture of the candidates and slogans such as "True Conservative Republicans for Council," states that it was "Paid for and approved by New Jersey's Future First, without the consent or approval of any candidate or committee."

The flier identifies Jennifer May as treasurer of New Jersey's Future First, described on campaignmoney.com as a 527 political organization. A single post on its own blog describes itself as an independent expenditure organization that supports "candidates that believe in community investment, fiscal integrity and ethical government regardless of political affiliation."

May also is the founder of Next Level Partners, a candidate compliance consulting firm. A client list posted on its website identifies more than two dozen candidates for national office, all Democrats, along with the super PAC Priorities USA Action, which supported the Barack Obama re-election campaign and is raising money for Hillary Clinton's presidential bid.

When reached by phone Thursday, May said a member of her organization would respond, but no one called back by Thursday evening.

With Councilmen Louis Valori and Robert Peluso, Carifi has formed a council majority that has repeatedly clashed with Mayor James Barberio and Township Attorney John Inglesino, particularly regarding what Carifi terms as excessive legal bills accrued by the township.

Many of those legal bills have resulted from the administration's defense of a lawsuit brought against the township by Carifi's brother, former township police Capt. James Carifi, who claims he was denied promotion and retaliated against for exposing department misconduct. Other significant legal and related investigative expenses have been accrued by the township for its investigation of subsequent allegations that James Carifi deleted or stole electronic documents from the department prior to his retirement in 2013.

"Mike dePierro certainly has a liberal record of raising property taxes and rubber-stamping outrageous legal fees to his politically connected friends," Carifi wrote. "But for him and his running mates to accept financial muscle from a liberal Democratic fundraiser who helped elect Barack Obama and now wants to elect Hillary Clinton is an outrage."

DePierro said he could only speculate about the flier.

"Apparently somebody in Parsippany doesn't like the way Paul Carifi and his cohorts are running meetings, and wanted to do something about it," he said. "I don't, either. That's why I am not running with him."

He was more pointed in his comments about Carifi's comments.

"I have never rubber-stamped anybody," he said. "If I agree with someone I vote for it. If I disagree, rather than knock someone in public, which is what they do, I try to get it changed to something I can live with."

To that end, dePierro says he has tried to stay out of the James Carifi matters "and let it play out," but he criticized Paul Carifi and his supporters for their part in perpetuating those conflicts "for the last three years" and contributing to the rise in legal expenses to the township.

Ferrara also denied knowledge of the New Jersey's Future First flier.

"I would put my hand on the Bible and tell you I have no idea," Ferrara said.

Three seats are available on the council this year, including those of Carifi, dePierro and Brian Stanton, who is not running for re-election.

Carifi's running mates, Aida Visakay and John Beehler, also registered their objections in the statement sent by Carifi.

"Why does a liberal Washington, D.C. super PAC and its contributors even care about Parsippany? What's in it for them? Who brought them here?" asked Visakay. "Aside from Councilman dePierro explaining his ties to this PAC, we are demanding that the PAC itself provide full disclose of its donors so that Parsippany taxpayers can get a full picture of his who is funding this PAC and why they have interest in Parsippany."

"After this mailer came out, we started getting a lot of questions around town about who this group was and what their motivation was for supporting the dePierro team," added Beehler. "Now that we know who they are, and have exposed their ties to Barack Obama and Hillary Clinton, it's time for the PAC and Councilman dePierro to explain how they are connected to each other, and why a liberal Democrat super PAC is sticking their nose into a Republican Primary for Council in Parsippany."

"I just hope if they send out any more fliers, they spell my name right," said dePierro, whose name was spelled both as "dePiero" and "diPiero" in the flier.

Staff Writer William Westhoven: 973-428-6627; wwesthoven@dailyrecord.com.