TOMS RIVER, NJ – The New Jersey GOP and the Republican National Committee are starting to sweat as momentum grows for Congressman Chris Smith’s GOP primary challenger, Mike Crispi.
Today, NJ GOP establishment elite and RNC National Committeeman Bill Palatucci said the RNC is dispatching teams and sending funds to help Smith beat Crispi in June.
“Here’s another fact, the NJ Republican State Committee issued a Rule 11 letter to the RNC, which means the RNC is now working with Rep. Smith, spending funds and sending their RNC field staff into the district to support his primary campaign,” Palatucci tweeted.
Crispi is answering former U.S. President Donald J. Trump’s call to primary Smith after he voted with Democrats and the Biden administration last year to pass the ‘bi-partisan’ infrastructure bill.
Palatucci seemed confused when it came to Smith’s campaign.
“Rep. Smith won in a landslide at the Monmouth GOP convention, the Middlesex GOP convention, and the Mercer GOP convention,” Palatucci said.
Smith’s district instead covers Ocean and Monmouth Counties. In Ocean County, the media and county committee members were locked out of this year’s convention. The Ocean County GOP hired three armed Toms River Police officers to keep the public out of the previously public annual event.
“That’s right. You lost Ocean GOP convention in a landslide as well,” Palatucci bragged about a pre-determined convention won by Smith, carried out behind closed doors.
In fact, Crispi did not even seek the nomination of the Ocean County GOP, knowing beforehand that the process was being done in the shadows by a small group of establishment GOP chairpersons and elected officials.
“Fake news: We didn’t participate because it was rigged for your Never- Trumper candidate and everyone knows it,” Crispi replied. “When Smith brags about winning it as his key accolade, the public literally laughs at him. See exhibit A and B. And we’ll see you in Column A on Election Day!”
Crispi’s “America First Republicans” slate won column A ballot positioning in both counties. He won’t be on the ballot in Middlesex or Mercer County because those counties aren’t in Smith’s district.
Crispi said Palatucci and the NJ GOP, along with the RNC, now seem uneasy over Smith’s first real challenge for his job in 40 years.
“They are very worried and very hell-bent on working against the greatest American President of our lifetime. Glad the RNC is showing their true colors,” Crispi said.
Palatucci serves as the male RNC National Committeeman. His counterpart, National Committeewoman Virginia Haines (R-Ocean) was served with an FBI subpoena for personnel records where she serves as a County Commissioner. The FBI is allegedly investigating the giving of jobs in return for kickbacks from public officials. The same team investigating Haines is the same team that oversaw operations Bid Rig I, II, and III, along with the conviction of the former Ocean County GOP Chairman.
