Benson's Fawning Endorsement Of McGuckin Came
After Askew Became Associated With Ciullo

Askew is the son-in-law of former independent Dover council candidate Carol Benson who announced recently in a series of fawning letters published in the Ocean County Observer, that she has become a strong supporter of Dover Councilman Gregory McGuckin, the greedy Republican pay-to-play lawyer who put Ciullo's firm on the Republican campaign payroll and is himself a council candidate.

Mrs. Benson attacked commentator Dennis Galante, who said McGuckin and three other ward council members, Maurice Hill, Brian Kubiel and Maria Maruca "may be the four worst elected officials in the history of Dover Township."

Galante backed up his charge with some pretty compelling material, including the fact that the McGuckin group broke every major campaign promise.

Mrs. Benson said Galante's assertion is "insulting to each citizen of Dover Township who elected their individual ward candidates," even if these citizens have been betrayed by lawyer McGuckin and the other Republican council members at every meeting, she might have added.

Cotello: "I Almost Choked On My
Breakfast" Reading Benson Letter

Another commentator, Thomas Cotello, said he "almost choked on my breakfast" when he read Benson's letter with its "fawning praise of McGuckin" who he called "part of the problem, not part of the solution."

Second Ward Democratic candidate Mark Baldaccini noted that Benson's praise of McGuckin didn't start until after her son-in-law, Kevin Askew, became a Berkeley Republican Club officer, a member of the Berkeley School Board, and a business associate of Richard Ciullo, the Central Regional school board member who has been criticized for politicizing Berkeley Schools, wasting money on political payoffs and putting up several offensive political websites.

Ciullo's Propaganda Methods Parallel Goebbels

Ciullo calls his critics "pedophiles" and "pornographers," and speculates on the sexual activities of people who disagree with him in and out of Berkeley Township, and generally uses methods patented by the late propaganda minister Joseph Goebbels who referred to his critics as "pedophiles" and "pornographers" and regularly accused dissenters of being "sexual predators."

McGuckin Infected By Ciullo Propaganda Methods

Some of this has clearly infected McGuckin, who said in an absurd letter prepared by spin doctor "Doctor" John Moriarty (former Democratic boss and accused extortionist on McGuckin's campaign payroll) that Cotello, Galante, Baldaccini and a host of other critics of himself and Benson were motivated by a desire to "mock" the tragic cancer death five years ago of Benson's grandson, a charge for which there was not even a particle of credibility.

Ciullo (And Maybe Askew) On McGuckin Campaign Payroll

Ciullo also turned up on McGuckin's campaign payroll, but denied in a recent e-mail that he was associated in business with Askew.

Ciullo and his most offensive and objectionable websites have also been directly funded by Republican county chairman George Gilmore, the pay-to-play lawyer who, like McGuckin, uses his political influence to access no-bid public legal services contracts all over Ocean County, and is a factor in excessive taxation in numerous municipalities.

Says Askew Has NO Official Connection With Him; But Ciullo Website Says Askew Is His Company's VP

"He is NOT an owner, NOT an officer, and has NO official connection with me," Ciullo said in his e-mail, but a quick check of the website of Ciullo's business showed Askew listed as "Vice President."

Does hired character assassin and school board member Ciullo ever tell the truth about anything? We may not find out in this lifetime.

This article prepared for publication  September 14, 2005