CALIENDO RESPONDS TO MIDDLETOWN GOP'S SLANDER

Middletown Democratic Chairman Joe Caliendo has issued the following response to a press release posted on PoliticsNJ.com on August 24th by the Middletown GOP:

"[Middletown Republican Chairman] Peter Carton slandered a decent, hard-working man because he happens to have the same name as another individual," Caliendo said. "This is as low and despicable as politics gets."PRESS RELEASE
FOR IMMEDIATE PUBLICATION
August 25, 2006
POC: Joe Caliendo
Chairman, Middletown Democrats
POC: 732-299-6470
Email: joe_caliendo@yahoo.com
Blog: www.democratscalling.blogspot.com

CALIENDO RESPONDS TO MIDDLETOWN GOP'S SLANDER

Middletown Democratic Chairman Joe Caliendo has issued the following response to a press release posted on PoliticsNJ.com on August 24th by the Middletown GOP:

"[Middletown Republican Chairman] Peter Carton slandered a decent, hard-working man because he happens to have the same name as another individual," Caliendo said. "This is as low and despicable as politics gets."

The press release was published on the political Web site by Brian Nelson on behalf of the Middletown GOP but was deleted of its content less than two hours later.

"I guess Carton realized that he reached a new low this time with that slanderous release and that's why the Middletown GOP decided to pull it," Caliendo said.

But Caliendo noted that removing the release does not erase the damage done to an innocent man.

"This businessman's reputation has been tarnished because of Peter
Carton's dirty politics," Caliendo said.

According to Caliendo, the individual slandered in the release is contemplating filing an ethics complaint with the New Jersey State Bar Association against Carton and Nelson, both of whom work for the law firm of Gibbons, Del Deo, Dolan, Griffinger & Vecchione.

"Carton and this Nelson guy are supposed to be lawyers. Attorneys are supposed to be held to a higher standard when it comes to their knowledge about the law. Well, last I checked, there is no statute that says you can slander an innocent individual for a quick political trick." Caliendo said. "Maybe the lawyers at Gibbons, Del Deo, Dolan, Griffinger & Vecchione know differently."

"It's bad enough that Gibbons, Del Deo, Dolan, Griffinger & Vecchione gets to bond Middletown into debt because Peter Carton works for them. Middletown taxpayers should not have to worry about attorneys from that firm throwing something on a Web site slandering them so Peter Carton can get some more ink in the newspapers," Caliendo concluded.