Dear Editor:
In response to the recent TapInto Parsippany and owner Laura Ali’s smear campaign targeting Councilman Justin Musella, it’s time to remind some people—Assemblyman Brian Bergen included—of a few inconvenient truths.
Let’s start with Bergen himself. When running against then-Assemblywoman BettyLou DeCroce, he positioned himself as an outsider challenging the entrenched Republican establishment. But he didn’t do it alone. It was the Justin Musella faction of the Parsippany Republican Party—reformers who believed in conservative values without the corruption—that helped propel him over the finish line. Jamie Barberio, now mayor, actively worked against him in that race. And yet, here we are.
Since that victory, Brian Bergen has gone native in Trenton—sucked in by the same old guard he once campaigned against. He’s become just another establishment insider, more focused on his political stock than on staying loyal to the people who helped him win in the first place. That’s not principled leadership. That’s betrayal.
And now, this same Assemblyman has the audacity to lecture Parsippany voters about our local election, despite admitting in his own words:
“As your Assemblyman, I have always believed that the best local leadership decisions are made by the people on the ground, not by state-level officials. It’s been my practice to stay out of municipal primary battles — not because I don’t care, but because I trust you to know what’s best for your community.”
Well, Assemblyman, we couldn’t agree more. You said it yourself. So do the right thing: stay out of this race. You don’t live here. You’re not on the ground. You don’t get to parachute into Parsippany politics to prop up the same mayor who tried to block your rise.
Bergen’s betrayal is apparent. He turned his back on the grassroots reformers who stood with him when it counted. And now he wants to tell Parsippany Republicans who to vote for?
Sorry, Brian—your credibility doesn’t extend across town lines. You’ve forgotten where you came from. And for that reason, no Musella supporter—and no reform-minded Republican—should give you the time of day, let alone their vote.
Shardul Kothare
Parsippany Voter
