Monmouth Prosecutor’s Office Still Investigating Election Robocalls

The origin of a 4 a.m. election robocall remains under investigation a week after the primary, said Charles Webster, a spokesperson for the Monmouth County Prosecutor’s Office.

The Monmouth County Republican Committee’s number was used to make the early morning call urging residents to vote for state Sen. Joe Kyrillos (R-Middletown). However, the committee denied sending out the robocall and questioned whether political dirty tricks were afoot at the end of a heated primary campaign.

“We had nothing to do with the phone calls. The calls didn’t come from us or Sen. Joe Kyrillos,” said Donna Phelps, administrator for the Monmouth County Republican Committee. Phelps called the offense “unconscionable.”

The committee does not know how many calls were made that morning, but Phelps returned to the office on Election Day to more than 40 messages from residents complaining. The entire day was spent returning those calls and taking others, explaining that the Monmouth County GOP was not responsible.

“We were apologizing whether we were responsible or not,” she said.

Chairman John Bennett went to the Monmouth County Prosecutor’s Office that day to report the crime. Bennett told CBS that the party did not authorize the calls and the number was “hijacked.”

The names of individuals who complained to the Monmouth County GOP were ultimately given to the prosecutor’s office for the ongoing investigation, Phelps said.

Bennett called the hijacking a “dirty trick” done to suppress voter turnout, CBS reported.

"I believe someone violated the law and should be prosecuted," Bennett told Patch on election night.

Webster would not comment further on the active investigation.

Kyrillos, a 25-year incumbent for the 13th Legislative District, defeated tea party candidate Leigh-Ann Bellew in the Republican primary.

Monmouth County incumbents Freeholder Director Thomas Arnone and Freeholder Deputy Director Serena DiMaso also defeated a slate of Bayshore Tea Party group-backed candidates in the Republican primary.