Aren’t We Supposed To #BelieveWomen? Apparently, Phil Murphy Doesn’t, Not When It Comes To Nick Sacco

Nick Sacco

Elections in New Jersey are tough, no one denies that. In Hudson County the race for mayor of North Bergen between Larry Wainstein and Mayor/state Senator Nick Sacco is especially tough, and for those of us who like watching slug fests this is the one to watch. As a Republican, this one is especially fun because they’re both Democrats. The Hudson Reporter did a good job capturing some of the fun back in March.

One particular part of the Hudson Reporter piece caught my attention:

At the March 11 rally, Gov. Phil Murphy was one of many high-ranking officials to turn out and sing Sacco’s praises.

“I talk about a stronger and fairer New Jersey all the time, and if you want to see an embodiment of strong and fair, look at the leadership we have on stage tonight,” Murphy said. “I know the mayor as a friend, supporter, and confidante when times are tough. I know him as one of the most senior, distinguished, and respected state senators in Trenton, and most importantly I know him as Mayor Nick Sacco of the great North Bergen.”

The reason that jumped out at me is reading about what a great guy Governor Phil Murphy thinks Nick Sacco is reminded me there was once some sort of issue with a woman and Sacco. I didn’t remember exactly what that issue was until last week when Wainstein came with an online ad that includes alleged “actual voicemail recordings of Nicholas Sacco.” They were recordings allegedly left on Lydia Coleman’s phone by Sacco.

To be fair, Sacco, through a spokesman, claimed the recordings were “doctored.” From a Star-Ledger article.

Paul Swibinski, a spokesman for Sacco (D-Hudson), said the recordings appear "doctored," and that there were other issues, including financial difficulties, that called into question Coleman's credibility.

The spokesman did his job making the claim the recordings were doctored, but then launching into an attack on Coleman was classless.

Now, to continue with being fair, in an Observer article an expert concluded the recordings were authentic. From the Observer article:

Attorney Mario Blanch said he received a letter from Professional Audio Laboratories of Park Ridge, Inc. President Paul Ginsberg.

“After some experimentation to optimize intelligibility, I produced an enhanced copy, and proceeded to do a preliminary examination,” said Ginsberg, referring to a copy of the tapes he received from the Star-Ledger.

“My conclusion was that the recordings were authentic, but with the caveat that in order to make a definitive finding I would need to examine the original recording or have access to the voicemails.”

I’m going to have to believe the expert because the Lydia Coleman incident is not the only sexist incident involving Sacco and a woman.

In 2010 North Bergen paid April Tricoli-Busset $90,000 because she sued over sexist remarks. According to the Jersey Journal:

In the suit, she said she endured a series of sexist taunts, including an occasion in June 2006 when Mayor Nicholas Sacco, chatting at the North Bergen Flag Day Parade with township commissioners, asked, "Don't you think we should have a big boobs page on the website?"

The thing is I don’t remember any outrage at Sacco during or after either of these incidents. It’s almost as if Trenton Democrats thought it was okay for Sacco to allegedly make sexist remarks and allegedly leave threatening messages.

Two incidents involving two different women makes a pattern. Sacco has a track record of mistreating women. Yet, Phil Murphy still felt it was important to stand with Sacco.

Someone needs to ask Murphy if with Sacco’s record he still believes Sacco is “a friend, supporter, and confidante when times are tough.” And, if Murphy still believes that then he needs to explain if he still knows Sacco “as one of the most senior, distinguished, and respected state senators in Trenton.”

One may argue these incidents involving women and Nick Sacco are old, but don’t forget allegations against Brett Kavanaugh were even older and Phil Murphy made his opinion on that known when he said Kavanaugh "ought to just pack up and leave town."

Now that new light has been shed on Nick Sacco’s treatment of women Phil Murphy should be calling on him to just pack up and leave town. He did it for Kavanaugh and Sacco should be no different.