Fozman patronage hiring creates rift between brick, ocean county republican factions

Fozman Patronage Hiring Creates Rift Between Brick, Ocean County Republican Factions

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1 min read
September 12, 2020

BRICK TOWNSHIP, NJ – Factions aligned to Ocean County Chairman GOP Frank Holman and those aligned to the Southern Ocean County Conservative Republicans are at odds this week over the planned hiring of former Brick Democrat James Fozman’s wife Vera to a political patronage job by the Ocean County Board of Chosen Freeholders.  GOP sources in Brick say the Fozmans switched political parties from Democrat to Republican after falling out of grace with the Brick Democrats.

One Brick leader called the Fozmans nothing more than political opportunists and said actions were being planned against the Fozmans by the Brick Township Republican Club this week.   Brick Democrat Mayor John Ducey, in a 2019 campaign ad against Fozman claimed Fozman tried to shake the mayor down for a six-figure patronage job.

It has been said that this week, the Fozmans will face a motion to be removed from the Brick Township Republican Club after rival factions became upset over Fozman’s political patronage appointment by the Board of Chosen Freeholders.  The Freeholders are expected to vote on Vera Fozman’s hiring at the Wednesday meeting of the board, confirmed by three sources within the Ocean County government.   That appointment could now be in jeopardy because of the political backlash presented when Shore News first reported the hiring this week.

Sources within the county said initially the hiring of Fozman was to take place after the November election, but Ocean County GOP Chairman Frank Holman urged the freeholders to approve the hiring of his political ally sooner than later.

Since joining the Republican party in 2018, the Fozmans have been regulars at political fundraisers hosted by Holman.

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