TOMS RIVER, NJ – Toms River Mayoral Candidate Geri Ambrosio today sent a text to voters accusing a township employee of removing her campaign signs while on the clock at the township.
In a video posted by Ambrosio, she claims township employee Vickie Martin, a recreation department employee while ‘at work’, was the person in the video removing her campaign signs at the intersection of Vaughn and Bay Avenue in Toms River.
Ambrosio claimed in her text that Martin is facing multiple charges.
Jillian Messina, a spokesperson for the Toms River Police Department, confirmed a report had been made with the department, naming Martin as the suspect identified by Ambrosio for the alleged crime of removing a political campaign sign.
In her text, Ambrosio claimed Martin was a ‘tied’ to Rodrick.
When asked about the incident, Ambrosio changed her story a bit.
“It’s on dash cam video,” Ambrosio said. “She confirmed she did it and confirmed she was a Rodrick supporter.”
Councilman Dan Rodrick dismissed Ambrosio’s claim that he was ‘tied’ to the woman caught on camera removing her signs.
“I don’t know this person and never told anyone to remove any signs,” Rodrick said. “This is just another false message by Ambrosio trying to change the subject after her own shortcomings as a candidate trailing in the polls.”
Art Gallagher, the Toms River Township Press Secretary, said tonight he is on leave from the township and working on Mo Hill’s political campaign for the final week before the election. He would not comment on the matter, saying only, “I have been out of the office.”
Gallagher deferred his response to the Toms River Police Department.
Township Business Administrator Lou Amoruso promptly hung up when we called him for comment shortly after identifying ourselves as Shore News Network.
“There was a police information report filed the evening of May 26th, stating a campaign sign was pulled from the ground near the intersection of Bay and Vaughn Avenues at approximately 1:00 that afternoon by Jacqueline Martin of Toms River,” Messina said in a statement today. “I do not have confirmation of her place of employment.”
Ambrosio is no stranger to police interactions. She was involved in a hit-and-run collision in Lacey Township in 2020 where she fled the scene of a late-night crash. After avoiding police interaction for more than 24 hours, police eventually cited her for reckless driving, but she was able to plea bargain the charges through her lawyer, attorney Joseph Coronato.
In her robo text, Ambrosio said the town employee would be charged with criminal mischief, official misconduct, reckless driving, careless driving, obstructing traffic, and creating the risk of motor vehicle accident.
The Toms River Police Department confirmed those charges were not filed.
Attempts to reach Martin were unsuccessful.
“Ambrosio sent a false text out to hundreds of residents, misleading them into thinking I had some hand in some alleged criminal act,” Rodrick said. “Maybe this person was just mad because she knows Geri wants to hand the town over to her developer friends and continue what Mo Hill began. Maybe she was upset that Ambrosio is being pushed to run for office by a convicted felon who got her a $90,000 public job. Maybe she was mad that Ambrosio, a tax assessor, had a part in raising her home valuation and property taxes. What I do know is that it had nothing to do with me, and Geri knows this. She also knows she’s going to lose this election on Tuesday, and her desperation is showing.”
