Mayor named in local suit - Northern Valley Suburbanite 1/13/09 5:08 PM

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Election 2008
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Library Councilman-elect’s lawsuit says some officials tried to derail his campaign 01/08/2009
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By Tara Driggs Harrington Park began 2009
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Staff Writer | Dec. 22 2008 with a re-organization meeting
Obituaries Updates & Notices
Jan. 4 where Mayor Paul
Religion Republican councilman-elect Robert Agresta is suing numerous local Hoelscher welcomed new *
Announcements individuals, claiming that they acted "to thwart the democratic election council members and presided Name
process." over the swearing-in *
Archived Articles ceremonies. Email
Alpine Archives I agree to the terms of the site
Agresta claims that actions committed by Mayor Joseph Parisi, deputy police
Baseball policy.
Closter Archives
chief Michael Cioffi, Chief of the borough’s fire department George Drimones, Closter crash Jan. 6 Submit
Cresskill Archives the Englewood Cliffs Fire Department, detective in the Bergen County (Closter)
Demarest Archives Prosecutor’s Office Gary Robinson and private investigator William Krum "were 01/08/2009
Englewood Archives designed to inhibit and prevent" him from being elected in November. Local Ads
Englewood Cliffs Archives A collision at the intersection of
Harrington Park Archives The lawsuit alleges that Parisi sent the Superintendent of Elections Patricia A. Closter Dock and Piermont
Haworth Archives DiCostanzo an "investigation report," which was performed by Krum and roads during the early morning
Northvale Archives included Agresta’s Social Security number and other private information. Parisi hours of Jan. 6 led to the
Norwood Archives
asked for an investigation into whether or not Agresta lived in Englewood hospitalization of two people,
Old Tappan Archives
Cliffs, the lawsuit states. said Lt. Kevin Doerr of the
Regional High School
Archives Closter Police Department.
Rockleigh Archives The information included in the report is "within the constitutionally protected
Softball right of privacy and the unlawful collection of information about Plaintiff and Nine get scholarships
Sports Archive his household members was done for partisan political purposes," the lawsuit (Englewood)
Tenafly Archives also alleges. 01/08/2009

On Sept. 29, the superintendent of elections found that Agresta did live in Instead of the usual four
Englewood Cliffs. Despite that finding, Bergen County Prosecutor detective recipients, the Englewood
Robinson called Agresta and sought information regarding his residency, the Puzzle Space Bulk Pod
Women’s Club was able to
WEST PATERSON, NJ
lawsuit states. offer nine scholarships due to
the generous support of co-
In doing so, Robinson and the mayor were illegally investigating Agresta sponsors from the community.
"using the power of the Bergen County Prosecutor who was without any
authority to conduct any such investigation, especially after the County
Superintendent of Elections had determined that Agresta was a lawful resident
of Englewood Cliffs," the lawsuit alleges.
Tenafly
Fire Chief Drimones and Deputy Police Chief Cioffi "actively conspired to New Year's resolutions
wrongfully discharge" Agresta from the Englewood Cliff’s Volunteer Fire 01/08/2009 Bensi Of Tpr Tenefly
Department, the lawsuit states. Agresta was suspended from the Fire TENAFLY, NJ
Department in October and was kicked off on Nov. 14. It’s another beginning of a year.
The time when some people
The lawsuit alleges that his time at the Fire Department was terminated as a stop and reflect on the year
result of an action orchestrated by Cioffi and Drimones to oust him "in behind, and set expectations —
retaliation for exercising his First Amendment right to run for Council against sometimes unrealistic — for the
Patricia Drimones," Cioffi’s sister and the fire chief’s wife. year to come. But a lot of
Tenafly residents don’t buy into
Based on beliefs that funds utilized by the Fire Department have been and all the hoopla.
continue to be diverted for purposed other than for the protection of the
community, Agresta asked to review financial and other records. According to Forte honored
the lawsuit, Drimones and Cioffi refused. 01/08/2009

"I feel as though my termination from the Fire Department was politically For his dedication to provide
motivated," said Agresta. "I referred the Fire Department to the Attorney medical services to struggling
General to obtain financial records at the request of a resident during the jazz artists, Dr. Frances Forte,
course of my campaign. It was just an inquiry as to how funding was used." simply "Frank" to musicians,
was given a peace plaque by
Agresta is asking for compensatory, punitive and equitable damages, including Tenafly Mayor Peter Rustin.
his reinstatement to the Fire Department.
Nj Institute For Training
Global Care TEANECK , NJ
E-mail driggs@northjersey.com or call 201-894-6709 07/07/2008

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Mayor named in local suit - Northern Valley Suburbanite 1/13/09 5:08 PM

Mark Hyman, founder of Global

Care Unlimited (GCU), a
nonprofit educational and
humanitarian organization,
announced that it has raised
enough money to build a 12-
classroom school in Awassa,
Ethiopia. Huntington Learning Center
ORADELL, NJ
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