Dear Editor:
I am writing to express my outrage at what I read in Justin Musella’s press release on public safety. His blatant abuse of office for personal gain is absolutely disgusting.
After demanding that Mayor Barberio crack down on neighborhood speeding at a public Township Council meeting, Justin and his wife were pulled over for speeding in that very same neighborhood! He admitted to the officer that he “pushed his wife” to speed. Then, he handed the officer his official Township business card in an effort to get his wife out of a speeding ticket. It worked – his wife was let off with a warning – and all of it was captured on video.
The fact that Justin used his elected office to get his wife out of a speeding ticket is as illegal as it is shocking. The Local Government Ethics Law clearly prohibits municipal officials from using their elected office to gain advantages for themselves and others that would not otherwise be available to ordinary citizens. This law, which can be found at N.J.S.A. 40A:9-22.5, is clear that “No local government officer or employee shall use or attempt to use his official position to secure unwarranted privileges or advantages for himself or others”.
The law clearly forbids Justin from using his position as a member of the Township Council to get his wife out of a speeding ticket, just as the Mayor or any other elected Township official would be prohibited from doing so. I am personally offended that Justin engaged in such selfish behavior in violation of the trust that Township residents put in him when they elected him to office.
Justin’s unlawful and distrustful behavior needs to be addressed. I am demanding that the Township Council issue a formal censure at its next meeting stating unequivocally that it does not condone Justin’s abuse of his elected office. Moreover, the Township Council should direct that a formal ethics complaint be filed with the Division of Local Government Services. Also, since Justin clearly believes that the law does not apply to him, the video evidence of his conduct should be forwarded to the Attorney General’s Office for further investigation.
Only by censoring Justin and referring his conduct to appropriate authorities for a full investigation can the Township Council assure Parsippany residents that it is safeguarding the public trust and putting the Township above their own personal and political agendas.
Parsippany resident
Michael Scangarella
