Brick gop leader under fire for taking campaign payments finds new gig with mayoral candidate

BRICK, N.J. — Top leaders of the Brick Republican Club who have been facing mounting calls to resign following revelations of in-kind payments and campaign expenditures that some say reflect mismanagement and self-dealing.

At the center of the controversy are Ruthanne Scaturro, president of the club and vice-chairwoman of the Ocean County GOP, and Marc Vasquez, who is listed as club president on campaign filings. Vasquez recently received a $300 in-kind payment for social media management, according to a July 18 New Jersey Election Law Enforcement Commission filing, which lists the Brick Republican Finance Committee as the contributor.

This follows earlier reports that Vasquez was paid nearly $20,000 in consulting fees during the 2023 election cycle, including $1,000 for Election Day work.

Brick gop president ruthanne scatturo (l) brick gop vice president marc vasquez (r)

Despite the criticisms launched against Vasquez, he continues using his political influence to funnel money into his own personal bank accounts in the form of “in-kind” services to “Make Brick Great Again”, the campaign funding arm for the GOP mayoral candidate, Madeline Colagiovanni Iannarone.

Internal party messages obtained by members criticize the arrangement. “Members of the club should not be profiting off a campaign,” one message stated, labeling recent payments as “absurd” and “wasteful.”

Scrutiny has also been directed at a $7,500 contribution to the Restoring America’s Mission PAC, reportedly tied solely to Scaturro’s husband, Stephen Scaturro. That contribution appeared in earlier filings and has since prompted further questions from within the party.

In addition to campaign finance concerns, members have cited a series of post-election dinners, including one at Villa Vittoria in Brick attended by Scaturro and Ocean County GOP Chairman George Gilmore. Photos from the event showed campaign literature on the table promoting gubernatorial candidate Jack Ciattarelli’s former running mate, Jack4NJ, despite Gilmore’s failed endorsement of Bill Spadea in the 2025 GOP primary.

The club’s finances have come under further scrutiny after the July 2025 filing listed over $2,400 in new in-kind expenditures, including $2,165 for a fundraiser dinner at Manera’s Restaurant.

“It is in the best interest of the club, if the two of you step aside… so that there can be a smooth transition into this election,” stated a letter from concerned members addressed to Scaturro and Vasquez.

Neither Scaturro nor Vasquez has commented publicly on the allegations.

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