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Asbury Park residents received campaign literature and phone calls last week stating that the Asbury Park Democrats are endorsing the A-Team city council ticket in tomorrow’s election. But according to Asbury Park Democratic Committee Chairman Joe Grillo, the Democratic Committee is not endorsing anyone in the election.

“We, formally, are not endorsing anyone,” Grillo [pictured at right] said. “We encourage all Asbury Park residents to go out and vote and make up their own minds on who to vote for.”

Grillo received word from residents on Friday and Saturday, May 10 and 11, that they were receiving automated phone calls as well as phone calls from live callers about the Democrats’ endorsement of the A-Team, he said. He called the number that residents said was left on their answering machines. The person who answered said she was a member of another group called the Asbury Park Democrats. Grillo asked her to stop the calls, notifying her that he is the elected chairman of the Asbury Park Democratic Committee, but the calls continued, he said. The Sun has been unable to reach the caller at that phone number.

He then informed A-Team candidate Jim Keady about the calls, and Keady apparently put the calls to a stop, Grillo said.

Grillo learned that city resident Darryl Hammary is president of the group to which the caller referred, he said. He spoke with Hammary directly, and Hammary confirmed he was acting as president for a group called Asbury Park Democrats, Grillo said. Hammary is also designated as treasurer of the political action committee [PAC] Citizens for Change, which has made in-kind contributions to the A-Team’s campaign.

The Sun is awaiting a response from Hammary.

The A-Team candidates are Keady, Nora Hyland, Duanne Small, Remond Palmer and Daniel Harris.

After a similar situation occurred during board of education elections in 2012, Grillo registered the names Asbury Park Democrats, Asbury Park Democratic Executive Committee and Asbury Park Democratic Club with the Internal Revenue Service [IRS], he said. The group is colloquially known as the Asbury Park Democrats, he said.

“We encourage all Asbury Park residents to go out and vote and make up their own minds on who to vote for, and to disregard anything coming from [those who purport to be] the Asbury Park Democrats,” he said.

Eric Brophy, an attorney representing the Asbury Park Democratic Committee, issued a cease-and-desist letter to the A-Team. The letter directs the A-Team, its representatives and its affiliates to “cease and desist from making any further false and misleading representations regarding any affiliation with the collective Asbury Democrats as none exists.”

Also, Brophy asserts that the robocall violates New Jersey Election Law by failing to include a “paid-for” statement at its conclusion.

“We have a copy of the call and intend to refer the call to the New Jersey Election Law Enforcement Commission,” the letter states.

The Asbury Park Democratic Committee consists of 18 elected members — two from each of the city’s nine voting districts. Six of the committee members are running for council — Duanne Small on the A-Team ticket, John Loffredo and Will Potter on the Forward Asbury Park ticket, and Amy Quinn, Joe Woerner and committee vice president Talesha Crank on the One Asbury ticket.

Grillo himself also was running in the race on the Forward Asbury Park ticket, but dropped out in early March, before petitions for candidacy were returned to City Hall. He also works as executive director of the Monmouth County Democrats.

“I just want to make sure that it’s clear that we are not endorsing any candidates,” Grillo said. “I apologize for other people’s misrepresentation.”

The Asbury Park city council election takes place tomorrow, May 14. Twenty-two candidates are vying for five open seats on the council. The current council’s terms end on June 30, and new four-year terms will start on July 1.

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