OPINION / EDITORIAL
Like all great superheroes, there’s a talented creator behind them. Stan Lee, Jerry Siegel, and Rob Liefeld created some of the most incredible superheroes ever scripted in comic books.
Today, we learn that The Dark Guardian (Aka Councilman Chris Pollak) in Jackson also had a creative writer who created an image, a script, and a narrative for one of Ocean County’s most popular superheroes.
Meet Eli Shem Tov.
But this story is different from the rest. While the other talented creators created superheroes out of thin air and amazed fans for generations, Eli Shem Tov took a real-life superhero and made him a politician, pulling off one of the biggest bait-and-switches in the history of Ocean County politics.
Except, mid comic book, Eli Shem Tov changed the script. The Dark Guardian was supposed to be the next mayor of Jackson. It was all written on the pages of the Fight For Jackson comic book series.
Then, in issue #2, a major plot twist was revealed. Pollak would not be the mayor, it would be his creator, Elliot Shem Tov. It’s as if Stan Lee made Spiderman a sidekick to a character of his own name and changed the title of the comic strip from “The Amazing Spiderman” to “The Amazing Stan Lee”.
That’s what just happened in Jackson. Creator Elliot Shem Tov changed “Chris Pollak for Jackson” to “The Amazing Elliot Shem Tov”.
If you are serious about the future of Jackson. You have to ask yourself. How did Phil Stilton and Shore News Network know Eli Shem Tov was running for mayor MONTHS before he announced his candidacy at (of all places) the Toms River Township Council Meeting?
Here is the solid truth:
1. Eli Shemtov was SUPPOSED to be Chris Pollak, but he felt he could not run seriously and win under his own name in Jackson Township.
Extra points for self-awareness.
When Eli learned that his name brand was a liability he created Chris Pollak. He now even admits he was the writer of Pollak’s entire campaign script in 2025.
Let’s face facts, people. Chris Pollak is a well-intended guy who truly believes what he is doing is right and just, but he’s not the guy calling the shots and never will be. I knew this from day one, and you all criticized the messenger.
While everyone in Jackson believed Pollak to be Jesus, the messiah sent to us from superhero land to change our town forever, we knew what was really going on behind the scenes. Chris was the frontman for Eli Shemtov. My investigation found that out within HOURS of Pollak dropping out of nowhere.
While he was saying the Jackson Council was being controlled by “the community”, Chris was being scripted, controlled, and groomed to be the catalyst for Eli Shem Tov’s bigger plans, to one day control Jackson, Toms River, and Brick politics, money, campaigns, etc.
To be the new power broker for Ocean County. This was never about Pollak or Jackson; it was about building a brand that Shem Tov could profit from and create his base of power for his delusional ambitions to one day take over all of Ocean County (Which he has now admitted).
I knew this was his plan since day one, when Chris Pollak showed up at Mike Reina’s house to get his blessing to run for office.
Why would a guy who wants to overthrow machine first go to that same very machine and ask for approval? It didn’t make sense, and it still doesn’t make sense today. (Well, it really does, because overthrowing the machine for overthrowing the machine’s sake wasn’t what it was about. It was about taking over the machine)
It even caught me by surprise when Eli went to Toms River this week and announced his grander plan. Usually, you don’t go out and broadcast the quiet part out loud.
He probably should have kept that part as his secret, but now that it’s out, now you know, he doesn’t just want Jackson; he wants power. He wants Toms River and Ocean County. Why? We still really don’t know who he is really working for. Maybe that will come out as his campaign continues.
2. Chris Pollak was never supposed to be. He was Eli Shemtov’s sloppy seconds.
Eli Shemtov created the brand of Chris Pollak as the front man for his political. financial and social organization, which he announced this week is ALSO focused on being the ‘man’ of politics in Ocean County and Toms River.
Eli Shem Tov over the past few days has admitted it was him, and not chris who was the mastermind behind Pollak’s “Fight for Jackson” marketing campaign. It’s right there on his “Chris Pollak for Jackson” page…no sorry, that page has now been hijacked by Eli Shemtov.
3. Eli Shemtov has been speaking to many members of the community and people in Lakewood over the past 6 months, making deals, saying he is going to be the next mayor of Jackson (Itwas never meant to be chris, chris was just eli’s means to the end). They met with many prominent members of the community, but learned one thing in the end, they weren’t buying the schtick like voters in Jackson did, and they were rebuked.
4. Eli Shemtov was originally going to run for county commissioner, in 2026 but when he found out the bloc vote was behind Frank Sadeghi and would not back him, he changed his mind and went for a softer target (Jackson) and then went on a hate spree against Mr. Sadeghi.
5. Everyone in town was SHOCKED to learn that it was going to be Eli Shemtov running for mayor, and not Chris Pollak,. they called our report a lie… well, we knew this for months and tried to tell you, but instead, you believed the marketing campaign designed by Eli Shemtov.
How did Phil Stilton know Eli was meeting with people from Lakewood at Bagel King? How did he know Eli’s plans were “bigger” than Jackson, but he took Jackson as a consolation prize, to push out Pollak, which Pollak and his people gladly accepted?
How do we know this? Because every person Eli Shemtov announced his plans to, immediately told us in real time, as it was happening.
It’s all a fix. It’s all a script. Suddenly Chris Pollak who told us all to fight for Jackson doesn’t want to be mayor? He needs to change his campaign to “Fight for Eli” or “Fight for Jackson, but just a little bit so I can get the paycheck I called corruption during my campaign”
You’ve all been played, and you’re all going to be played in 2026. Good luck with that.
Now you know. Vote smarter next time and listen to the guy who has lived here for 25 years and fought for the same things we’re all fighting for each of those 25 years.
Good luck Jackson, welcome to campaign season 2026. I personally don’t care who wins or loses elections in Jackson because none of the people running at this point are the answer that everyone is looking for.
You can say whatever bad things you want about me, I personally don’t care, because in the end, if I lied about anythign Eli and Pollak would sue me, but they never will, because they know a lawsuit will expose everyting I have said as 100% truth.
Eli Shem Tov might be a great guy. He might be fun to hang out with. But Jackson deserves a mayor who will put Jackson ahead of their own political power fantasies. We don’t a mayor who is already admitting Jackson is just his stepping stone for some bizarre political power struggle in other towns and at the county level. We already had that.
Never forget that Eli’s job and professional career is a salesman. He is going to try to run for mayor under the brand he created for Chris Pollak.
He is NOT Chris Pollak. Chris is a fighter, regardless of whether or not he always had all the facts before he fought. Chris Should take control and run for mayor finish what he promised to do in Jackson.
Prove me wrong, Chris.
