Toms River – Democratic Mayoral Candidate Ben Giovine found himself in hot water this weekend, after being caught in another campaign lie about his opponent’s record.
In a paid Facebook ad, Giovine falsely claimed that Councilman Rodrick voted against the new Veterans Clinic that will be built on Cardinal Avenue in Toms River.
Fortunately for Councilman Rodrick, Toms River video records all of their council meetings, and a 2022 vote on the matter shows Rodrick clearly voting yes on the matter.
A copy of the January 26th, 2022 meeting can be viewed below. In it, the clerk reads the resolution and Rodrick can be clearly heard voting in favor of appropriating the money for the clinic.
“In my experience, Ben is known to take liberty with the truth, but this is beyond the pale – even for him,” Rodrick said of Giovine. “What’s even more egregious, is that as Congressman Kim’s chief of staff, Giovine actually lobbied at the Federal level to have the clinic built somewhere else,” Rodrick said. As close allies of former Democrat Brick Mayor, John Ducey, Giovine and Congressman Kim both are on the record calling to have the VA clinic built in Brick.
Giovine refused to comment on this matter when contacted Sunday night. Congressman Andy Kim also refused to comment on the matter.
Giovine used an ordinance regarding a 2019 plan to build townhomes and apartments at the Caudina development. Rodrick voted no against that development. At the time, Giovine and Congressman Kim were lobbying to build the veterans clinic in a congested part of Brick Township.
It wasn’t until 2022 that the clinic’s construction in Toms River was announced. Rodrick, as seen below voted yes to the veterans clinic. After contacting Giovine on Facebook, Giovine ‘blocked’ this reporter from his campaign page and continued to refuse to answer to the false information he was sending to voters.
This is not the first time Mr. Giovine has taken liberty with the truth. In a recent campaign flyer he claimed that Rodrick voted against a new ambulance, new police cars, and against repairing potholes. According to a review of Toms River Council agendas, no such votes were ever held.
Rodrick said Giovine, with his close and personal access to Congressman Kim, who came to his most recent political fundraiser, lost an opportunity to stand up for veterans. Rodrick said if he was in Giovine’s position, he would be lobbying to allow veterans to seek healthcare options at local hospitals and to use their benefits outside of the federal VA clinics.
“Ben just makes it up as he goes along,” Rodrick said of Giovine. “I voted for the veterans clinic, but the truth is – if we’re talking about veterans health care, I believe they should be able to use their benefits at any hospital or doctor’s office. It would be good for our veterans, and it would be good for doctors and hospitals. Hospitals are losing billions of dollars every year because they are forced to take care of illegals and other folks who have no health insurance. If I were a congressman’s chief of staff, I’d be pushing to allow veterans to go to any hospital.”
According to Forbes and Health Care Finance News, US hospitals lose $18.5 billion dollars annually caring for undocumented migrants. Giovine supports sanctuary and free healthcare for illegal migrants, Rodrick said, showing press releases published by Andy Kim’s office and the NRCC.
Caring for veterans at existing hospitals could offset those losses since they could be reimbursed by the federal government.
“The truth is, Giovine doesn’t care about our veterans and he doesn’t care about Toms River either. He’s only interested in political advancement. Giovine is a career politician with no work history, who spent six years on the school board raising our taxes. While he was jacking up our taxes, Ben wasn’t paying his, and his home was in foreclosure. Around the same time, Giovine was arrested for driving under the influence of alcohol & narcotics,” Rodrick said. “You or I would be waking to work for six months to a year, but Ben’s father is a democrat judge, so he got off the hook without losing his driver’s license. Giovine finally decided to grow up at 36 years old and took a job as Congressman Kim’s chief of staff, after the Democrats grabbed District 3 in the blue wave. If his dad wasn’t a political insider, we would have never heard of Giovine.”
“Andy Kim (and Ben Giovine) and the Democrat Party’s unhinged plan to raise folks’ taxes to give free health care to illegal immigrants puts them at complete odds with New Jersey voters,” said NRCC Spokesman Michael McAdams