JACKSON, NJ – New Jersey Assemblyman Gregory McGuckin was promoted by Mayor Michael Reina to the lead legal counsel in January of 2020, but McGuckin saw the denial of Jackson Parke North from start to finish as an attorney for the town’s planning board. McGuckin, whose law firm has long represented the Township of Lakewood’s Zoning Board, oversaw the legal process of the Jackson Parke North application in 2019 and today, was dealt a devastating loss by Judge Mark A. Troncone.
While McGuckin gets rung up in the L, column, his firm was paid nearly one hundred thousand dollars for legal services for the town, making Jackson Township the only loser after today’s decision.
“We got our ass kicked,” McGuckin said, according to township insiders.
It wasn’t the only loss for McGuckin today. He also serves as lead legal counsel for Toms River Township and shortly after Troncone’s order was delivered, McGuckin was also responsible for the passing of an ordinance in that town that saw the town council approve a 50 unit development in North Dover, with two ‘Meeting Halls’ in it. Reportedly that is part of a legal loss by McGuckin during his time on the planning and zoning board there.
It begs us to ask the question. Why the hell is Jackson Township still paying Greg McGuckin? It’s quite clear that since Mayor Mike Reina made the controversial decision to hire the county’s new political boss, the proverbial shit has been running downhill and the only one making out on the deal is McGuckin, who continues to submit nearly $200 per hour legal bills to the township, despite developers having their way with him.
It’s not even developers. Insiders in Jackson are telling us McGuckin’s handling of the federal lawsuits is the reason why Attorney General William Barr is now even suing Jackson. McGuckin wrote the ordinance for fill dirt, which now has the town in yet another lawsuit.
With lawyers like McGuckin representing Jackson, whose interests are obviously only in his own self-enrichment, why do we even need a lawyer at all in Jackson? He has done nothing but lose in the six months he’s been our town attorney…and losing in absolutely epic fashion.
Reina hired McGuckin simply to appease the party boss, GOP Chairman Frank Holman. He even admitted it saying he would be awarding public jobs to settle political differences, by giving all of his political donors a piece of the pie.
Now, we’re seeing the fallout from Reina’s complete abandonment for common sense and his allegiance to his public county job, before the people of Jackson…and the town council enables all of this.
Jackson Township needs to fire Greg McGuckin and hire a competent municipal law attorney or this is just the tip of the iceberg…McGuckin has failed everything in the past year, except when it comes to bullying weak mayors into hiring him.
Mike Reina, we’re calling on you to fire this guy, admit your mistake and hire a competent attorney who doesn’t give you campaign donations in return for legal services. This experiment has failed twice now. Stop using Jackson as your own political and financial springboard. Before it’s too late, do what’s right. Fire this trainwreck before you and Greg McGuckin bankrupt our town with legal fees.
Our President, Donald J. Trump would call McGuckin a loser. He doesn’t win. Jackson needs a lawyer who knows how to win…because losers aren’t winners.
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