HACKENSACK, NJ – The New Jersey Appellate Division has affirmed a lower court ruling in a heated defamation case involving Englewood Cliffs’ local political figures, finding that statements made during a municipal election campaign crossed the line into actionable defamation.
The opinion, issued Wednesday and approved for publication, stems from two consolidated appeals between plaintiff Albert H. Wunsch III and members of the political group CTE Republicans for Englewood Cliffs, including Zhi Liang, Rivka Biecagz, Penny Rousouli, and Mark Park.
The litigation centered on statements made in campaign materials and online communications tied to the borough’s 2023 local elections.
According to court records, Wunsch alleged that the defendants disseminated false and damaging statements about him in the course of their political campaign. The trial court had previously found in Wunsch’s favor on certain claims, prompting appeals from both Park and the Republican campaign committee.
Judges Mayer, Gummer, and Vanek heard arguments in October 2025. In its January 8 decision, the appellate panel largely upheld the lower court’s findings, affirming that the disputed statements were not protected political opinion but instead amounted to factual assertions that could be proven true or false. The panel also agreed that the trial court properly handled procedural and evidentiary issues raised by the defendants.
While the ruling did not impose new penalties, it solidified the precedent that local campaign groups can face civil liability for defamatory statements made during election cycles, even in heated political environments.
