PARSIPPANY — Parsippany-Troy Hills Township Council candidates Gary Martin and Dharmesh Desai have broken the law by failing to file required disclosure statements with the New Jersey Election Law Enforcement Commission (ELEC). Election regulations require that candidates for a New Jersey primary election file financial statements by certain deadlines, including disclosures of any political contributions above $300. This year, the pre-primary deadlines are May 8 and May 26. According to public records on ELEC’s website, neither Martin nor Desai has filed any required registration or disclosure statements. ELEC has no record of either candidate’s campaign finances or political fundraising activities.
Having run for both Board of Education and Township Council seats in the past, Martin, a former police officer, has filed several disclosure statements with ELEC and is well aware of the filing deadlines. Running under the banner “Real Republicans,” Martin and Desai have called for greater fiscal accountability and transparency from the Township Council. Their campaign, on the other hand, is anything but accountable or transparent.
“We believe the purpose of our campaign finance laws is to protect the integrity of our elections. Candidates who violate our campaign laws, such as Gary Martin and Danny Desai, cannot be trusted with taxpayer money. Why are Martin and Desai hiding their contributors? Who is contributing to them, and how much are they contributing? Who has paid for their mailers, lawn signs, videos, and fundraisers? Failure to disclose campaign contributions raises the question of what was promised and to whom. We are running to represent the people of Parsippany. Martin and Desai are running to benefit some undisclosed special interest,” stated Carifi, Kandil, and McGrath.
“In light of Gary Martin and Danny Desai’s unlawful actions, we call on the Attorney General and the Morris County Prosecutor to conduct a thorough investigation to get to the bottom of Martin’s and Desai’s illegalities. They should be held accountable to the fullest extent of the law,” stated Carifi, Kandil, and McGrath”
