TOMS RIVER, N.J. — Several prominent Ocean County Republican elected officials joined New Jersey Attorney General Jennifer Davenport in Toms River this weekend for a statewide consumer protection meeting, despite ongoing criticism from many other Republicans in the state over Davenport’s legal and policy agenda under Governor Mikie Sherrill’s administration.
The annual summer meeting of county and municipal consumer affairs agencies was hosted by the Ocean County Department of Consumer Affairs and brought together representatives from nine New Jersey counties.
Ocean County Consumer Affairs Director Ronald Heinzman, who serves as the 2026 president of the statewide organization, welcomed Davenport along with Senior Counsel Erin Whitte.
Also attending were Ocean County Commissioners Robert S. Arace, Frank Sadeghi, Jennifer Bacchione, and Sam Ellenbogen; Ocean County Sheriff Michael Mastronardy; State Sen. Carmen Amato; Assemblyman Brian Rumpf; Acting Division of Consumer Affairs Director Jeremy Hollander; and Seaside Heights Police Chief Thomas Boyd.
According to the Ocean County Department of Consumer Affairs, Davenport opened the meeting, where officials discussed protecting New Jersey residents from emerging scams and enforcement of the New Jersey Consumer Fraud Act.
Davenport appeared alongside Sheriff Michael Mastronardy to announce a new statewide consumer protection initiative targeting deceptive practices by used car dealerships.
“The sheriff offered a few public safety reminders for residents, and OCSO remains committed to working with state partners to protect Ocean County consumers,” the Ocean County Sheriff’s Office said following the event. “If you’ve been the victim of a dealership scam, file a complaint with the NJ Division of Consumer Affairs.”
The public appearance comes as Davenport has become a frequent target of criticism from Republican lawmakers and conservative groups over several high-profile legal actions taken by the Attorney General’s Office.
Since taking office, Davenport has defended New Jersey’s unconstitutional firearms laws, including the state’s assault firearm and large-capacity magazine restrictions, following a federal court ruling that ruled those laws unconstitutional.
Both Davenport and Governor Sherrill vowed to fight to keep standard-capacity magazines and many semi-automatic rifles out of the hands of New Jersey residents.
Her office has also continued filing lawsuits against the Trump administration on several federal policy issues.
Most recently, Davenport announced legal action seeking to block the proposed merger between Paramount Global and Warner Bros. Discovery, arguing the transaction could reduce competition and harm consumers. Critics have questioned the lawsuit, with some alleging it is politically motivated because of New Jersey’s financial investment in expanding film and television production through tax incentives, including projects associated with Netflix’s planned studio campus.
While the meeting focused on consumer protection and fraud enforcement, the attendance of several Ocean County Republican officials alongside one of the state’s most politically controversial Democratic appointees drew attention amid continued partisan disagreements over the Attorney General’s legal priorities.
