Monmouth County Counsel Pens Letter to Democratic Candidate

The verbal sparring between Democratic Monmouth freeholder candidate Brian Froelich and members of the county governing body have become commonplace in recent months. Following his criticism of a long-time county employee’s role in local politics, however, Froelich got more than a tongue-lashing: he received a letter drafted by the county’s attorney.

Froelich, who has been known to criticize the freeholders for campaign donations by Birdsall employees, advised the county to rotate Director of Purchasing Gerri Popkin out of her position. Popkin has been a public employee for 30 years, according to New Jersey Department of the Treasury pension system records. Froelich claims that as the former Monmouth County Republican campaign coordinator, Popkin has a conflict of interest.

“Popkin even advertises that she holds some of these political positions as well as her purchasing position, thus making a direct and visual connection between purchasing and political fundraising,” Froelich said in a letter to the editor published in the Asbury Park Press earlier this month.

Following the letter’s publication, Monmouth County Counsel Andrea Bazer wrote Froelich, saying he misrepresented his opinion as fact.

“However, one part of your letter, inaccurately alleging Director Popkin’s use of her County position for political fundraising is without merit and is without even a modicum of factual support,” Bazer wrote. “I caution you to take care with your comments as it is in my opinion that you are dangerously close to, if not over the line of, committing a libelous and defamatory act against Director Popkin.”

Froelich as well as his lawyer responded with letters to the county, stating that Bazer’s “threats” were “wholly inappropriate” as she is “improperly” injecting herself into a political matter beyond the purview of her position.

“Whoever directed you to send the above letter has attempted, through threats and intimidation, to discourage political discourse under the color of law in violation of Mr. Froelich’s Constitutional rights,” Froelich’s lawyer Lawrence Luttrell said, seeking an apology.

County spokesperson Laura Kirkpatrick said the county calls this “silly season,” and Froelich’s statements are purely politically motivated.

“This kind of stuff comes up every election cycle,” she said. “These are accusations being made in a political arena. We try not to get involved in all this because it just takes up so much time and it doesn’t really accomplish a whole lot.”

The county also doesn’t get involved because they are political issues that do not concern county matters, she said.

“I don’t know (Popkin’s) responsibilities in the Republican campaign,” she said. “She’s doing it on her own time, separate from her job. That’s what’s great about America. You can do that…The county doesn’t know about her fundraising efforts. It’s not related to her job.”

Kirkpatrick added that because Froelich referenced Popkin, a county employee, Bazer was in her rights to comment and advise the board.

“There is no support whatsoever in the letter or in the record at all that she fundraised,” Bazer said at the July 25 board meeting. “Yes, she’s involved in the Republican Party. There’s nothing wrong with that. Our county, and in fact our constitution, allows people to engage in political activity.”

At that meeting, Freeholder Director Thomas Arnone said Popkin has the “utmost integrity” and is a “complete professional individual.”

“There is no conflict of interest,” Popkin said. “I adhere to county policy of not being able to fundraise for politics.”

Vendors have bought tickets to political events, but Popkin said she was not involved in fundraising efforts.

“Any charges made against the county of Monmouth, the purchasing division, or myself and my staff recently made by Mr. Froelich are completely false and slanderous in nature,” Popkin said. “We hope that going forward, Mr. Froelich utilizes his law license and brushes up on the local public contract laws of New Jersey.”

The Monmouth County Division of Purchasing is known as one of the best in the state, Popkin said. The division is open for public inspection, and residents with questions or concerns can make an appointment.

Monmouth County Republican Chairman John Bennett called Froelich’s letter to the editor “misstatements” and “outright false statements.”

“His attacks on the county purchasing agent are ridiculous, and when he ends his article by saying that she maintains ‘such a high profile political position,’ one wonders if being a vice president of a Republican club, to which she has a First Amendment constitutional right to be a member of, is what he is referring to,” Bennett wrote in a Letter to the Editor published in More Monmouth Musings.

Froelich said he did not actually accuse Popkin of wrongdoing but considers her involvement in the Republican campaign while a purchasing agent a conflict of interest.

“I don’t know if she’s done anything illegal,” he said. “During the day she’s awarding contracts to suppliers or vendors. In the evening she’s trying to raise money from those same vendors. It’s just a conflict.”