Ciattarelli can sue Sherrill for defamation ahead of election for NJ governor

New Jersey election officials have cleared the way for Republican gubernatorial candidate Jack Ciattarelli to sue his Democratic opponent, Mikie Sherrill, over alleged defamation. The New Jersey Election Law Commission ruled that Ciattarelli can use his own money to pursue the lawsuit without violating state campaign finance laws.

Ciattarelli's campaign attorney, Mark Sheridan, has stated that Ciattarelli believes he was defamed during a gubernatorial debate, specifically regarding Sherrill's comments about his business background. The allegations stem from remarks made by Sherrill, in which she called out Ciattarelli for allegedly publishing "opioid propaganda" at his company Galen Publishing, which has been accused of downplaying the dangers of opiates.

Sherrill claimed that Ciattarelli's business record was responsible for tens of thousands of opioid-related deaths. The comment sparked a heated exchange between the two candidates during the debate. The commission's unanimous decision gives Ciattarelli the green light to proceed with his defamation claim, which is set to be filed this week ahead of Election Day.

The ruling marks the latest development in a contentious gubernatorial race dominated by personal attacks and allegations. Sherrill has faced criticism for her own record at the U.S. Naval Academy, while Ciattarelli's campaign has released information about Sherrill's business history, including an embarrassing error that saw her Social Security number and family addresses leaked to a Ciattarelli ally through a public records request.

Ciattarelli's campaign has maintained that it will not use any campaign funds or matching funds for the lawsuit, but rather will rely on his own personal funds. The move is seen as a strategic attempt by Ciattarelli's team to deflect attention from their candidate's record and focus on Sherrill's alleged business dealings.

As Election Day approaches, polls suggest that Sherrill still leads in the general election. However, Ciattarelli's campaign claims to have internal polling data showing the candidates neck-and-neck, highlighting the increasingly tight contest between the two.

man... this whole thing just got me thinking about how we're all so obsessed with attacking each other online and offline . it's like, we can't even have a debate without it turning into a personal attack fest. and then we wonder why nobody wants to listen to us anymore?

and can we talk about the fact that Ciattarelli's gonna use his own money to sue Sherrill? like, what's the point of even having campaign finance laws if we're just gonna ignore them anyway? it's all just a big game of " who can afford to attack whom" .

and don't even get me started on the fact that Sherrill made those comments about Ciattarelli's business record. like, I'm not saying she was totally wrong, but maybe we should focus on the facts instead of trying to tear each other down .

i mean, at the end of the day, it's all just a bunch of noise, right? and what are we really gonna achieve by getting all riled up about some petty lawsuits and personal attacks?

..this election is getting uglier by the day I'm just hoping for a more civil debate, you know? Both sides are coming at each other with some pretty strong stuff. It's like, can't we all just agree to disagree? I've been reading about Ciattarelli and Sherrill for ages, but I never thought it'd come to this - defamation lawsuits . I mean, what's next? Lawsuits over tweets? It feels like they're both trying to distract from their own policies rather than focusing on the issues that matter to New Jersey voters . Still, at least Sherrill is calling out Ciattarelli for his business dealings - that does seem shady . I guess we'll just have to wait and see how this all plays out come Election Day

omg u guyz!!! D i'm low-key salty about this news lol ciattarelli is gonna sue sherrill over defamatio & now he can use his own $$$ to pay for it like what even is the point of having campaign funds if u just gonna use ur own money anyway?? and btw why r they both being so petty about it? sherrill says ciattarelli's business record is responsible 4 tens of thousands of opioid-related deaths & ciattarelli's all like "she's lying" but honestly i dont even no who to believe rn

Heard they're going to court again ... this defamation thingy is getting old . What's next, are they gonna sue each other for breathing? I mean, come on, it's an election, let's focus on the issues not personal attacks . Both sides have been low-key dirty, but at least Sherrill owned up to her Naval Academy drama ... Ciattarelli just hid behind his "opioid propaganda" card . Can't wait to see how this all plays out on Election Day .

omg u no wot?? this is getting crazee!! so like ciattarelli can suuue mikie sherrill over defamation but his team wont use campaign funds lol what a move i mean i get its strategic or whatever but isnt it just gonna distract ppl from real issues ? and btw why do politicians think we dont know how to fact check ourselves?? this election is literally getting more drama by the secnt

omg i dont get why ppl have 2 be so salty about election stuff can we just focus on something else? like did u know that avocados are $10 a pop now in nj?! idk what's more defamatory, sherrill's comments or the fact that ciattarelli's book was involved in all this drama anyway, im just curious why they cant just move on from personal attacks and focus on policy?

I'm low-key shook by this whole thing . It's like, okay, we've got politicians who think it's a good idea to sling mud at each other on stage during debates... and now they're trying to sue each other over it? I mean, can't we just have a respectful discussion for once? The fact that Ciattarelli is using his own money to pursue this lawsuit is like, totally shady . And Sherrill's comments about his business background were straight fire - she called out the dude on some serious misinformation. It's like, if you're gonna attack someone, at least try to do it with facts . Ugh, I just hate when politics gets so personal and nasty . Can we just focus on the issues already?

I'm not sure if I'm for or against this decision... I mean, shouldn't defamation laws be clear-cut? But at the same time, shouldn't Jack Ciattarelli have to use his own money to fund a lawsuit that's basically meant to discredit Mikie Sherrill? It seems like a bit of a cop-out to me, but then again, if it's not using campaign funds, is it really fair to penalize him for something he wouldn't normally pay for with taxpayer dollars? Ugh, I don't know... Can we just have clear rules so nobody can exploit loopholes?

I'm low-key surprised by this news lol . It seems like both campaigns are getting pretty personal and it's kinda sad, you know? I mean, Sherrill said some hurtful stuff about Ciattarelli's business history but he's still going after her with a defamation lawsuit...it's just another example of how heated this election is getting . Can't we just focus on the issues at hand instead of attacking each other's personal lives? On a more positive note, I've been following Sherrill's record on public health and it seems like she's actually done some good work . Fingers crossed that New Jersey voters will make an informed decision on Election Day .

idk why ppl r so shocked about ciattarelli goin after sherrill 4 defamation...i mean come on, she DID call him out 4 alleged opioid propaganda. u cant just ignore that kind of thing. ciattarelli's got a right 2 sue, esp since he claims he was defamed. i think its gonna b interesting 2 see how dis plays out, esp if ciattarelli wins...wont be good 4 sherrill's campaign.

Ugh I dont think this is a good sign for democracy. Both camps are bringing out personal attacks and it sounds like we're heading towards a super negative election . Sherrill's comment about Ciattarelli's business background might've been reckless, but now he's gonna sue her over it? That just seems like a waste of resources . And what's with all these 'leaked' documents? Is that really how you play the game? At this point, I'm not even sure who to believe anymore . Both candidates have got some skeletons in their closet and now it's getting ugly . Can't we just focus on the issues for once?

I'm a bit concerned about this defamation lawsuit from Jack Ciattarelli against Mikie Sherrill. It seems like they're just trying to deflect attention from their own issues and personal attacks on each other . The fact that Ciattarelli can use his own money for the lawsuit without violating state campaign finance laws is a bit of a loophole, but I guess it's all about how you spin it . What really gets me is that this kind of negativity isn't exactly what we want in an election. Can't they just focus on the issues and why voters should choose one candidate over the other?

Ugh man I'm getting so tired of politicians using lawsuits as a way to silence their opponents . This is just another example of how the system can be gamed to favor one side over the other. Mikie Sherrill made some tough comments about Jack Ciattarelli's business record, and now he's trying to take her down with a lawsuit . Meanwhile, Sherrill's campaign is releasing all these embarrassing info about Ciattarelli's own past... it just feels like they're trying to even the playing field, you know? Election Day can't come soon enough - I hope more people start taking notice of the real issues at hand and not getting caught up in all this mudslinging .

lol @ this defamation thingy ciattarelli thinks he can just sue sherrill over a debate and it's all good? newsflash jack, if you got something to complain about, maybe don't say it out loud first? also what's up with these campaign finance laws being super vague? shouldn't we have clearer rules so we know who's getting paid by who? and btw, isn't it kinda rich that ciattarelli is using his own money to sue sherrill while accusing her of downplaying the opioid crisis... talk about pot calling kettle

I'm a bit worried about this defamation thingy . I mean, whoever makes these accusations has got to be careful, right? I was in school and we had some pretty heated debates too, but no one ever threatened to sue over it . Although, now that I think about it, there were times when my friends and I would totally regret what we said after the fact . Still, it seems like a lot of money is on the line here, so let's hope Ciattarelli's team doesn't get too carried away .

I'm also kinda surprised that the commission allowed him to sue without using campaign funds . I thought for sure they'd say something about ethics laws or whatever . Guess you never really know what's gonna happen until it happens, right?

omg this is getting crazy so ciatattarelli thinks sherrill defamed him over some opioid stuff and now he can use his own money to sue her? like isn't that kinda rich coming from a guy who has his own publishing company with some sketchy history on it?

i feel like this whole thing is just an attempt to distract from ciattarelli's own record and not really about the actual issues. and what's up with the election law commission giving him the green light like that? don't they have a duty to ensure the integrity of the electoral process or something?

and can we talk about how crazy this is getting? both candidates are bringing out dirt on each other and it's just getting uglier by the minute . at this point, i'm just waiting for someone to actually use a fact-checking website and realize they're all just spewing nonsense

omg u guys i cant even rn so i was watching this crazy debate between Mikie Sherrill and Jack Ciattarelli and i was literally on edge i think both of them said some stuff that really hurt the other's rep but like i get it its politics right? anyway so ciattarelli is planning to sue sherrill for defamation over those comments about his business background i feel bad for him lol he seems like a nice guy . i mean i know ciattarelli has a history of publishing stuff on opioids at his company and that was pretty shady but still, calling out his business record like that is low . sherrill said it was responsible for tens of thousands of deaths which is super serious and stuff but also kinda harsh . its just another day in politics i guess where everyone's trying to deflect attention from their own skeletons . polls are still saying sherrill leads tho