Summit, NJ – The legal battle between Republican gubernatorial candidate Jack Ciattarelli’s campaign and Congresswoman Mikie Sherrill intensified Friday, as Ciattarelli’s attorneys at Squire Patton Boggs rejected a cease-and-desist letter from Sherrill’s legal team and accused her of hiding critical records tied to the Naval Academy’s 1994 cheating scandal.
In a letter to Sherrill’s counsel, attorney Mark Sheridan said Ciattarelli’s campaign and strategist Chris Russell would not destroy documents from Sherrill’s Official Military Personnel File (OMPF), despite demands from Democrats.
Sheridan argued that the records — obtained through a Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) request by Marine veteran Nicholas DeGregorio — were lawfully released by the National Archives, even though the agency later admitted a staff error in disclosing Sherrill’s full file.
“The records contain no information about Representative Sherrill’s involvement in the cheating scandal at the United States Naval Academy,” Sheridan wrote, while stressing that the campaign intends to preserve the material as evidence.
The dispute centers on the Naval Academy’s 1992 Electrical Engineering exam scandal, which prompted congressional hearings and national headlines. Sherrill’s absence from the Academy’s 1994 commencement program has fueled speculation about disciplinary actions against her, with Ciattarelli’s campaign accusing the congresswoman of being barred from walking at graduation.
Sheridan’s letter pointed to federal records cataloged at the Naval Academy’s Nimitz Library documenting the scandal, which he said can only be released with Sherrill’s authorization. The campaign also cited a 1994 federal lawsuit filed by midshipmen, including a man with the same name as Sherrill’s husband, that alleged improper interrogations by Navy investigators.
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The attorney rejected claims that Ciattarelli’s team illegally obtained or leaked Sherrill’s military records, emphasizing that the documents came directly from the National Archives in response to a FOIA. He warned that continued accusations of unlawful conduct could trigger a defamation suit against Sherrill’s campaign.
“What prompted inquiry was Representative Sherrill’s annual post congratulating Naval Academy graduates but never posting her own graduation photos,” Sheridan wrote. “This led to research, the discovery of her omission from the program, and confirmation she did not walk at her graduation.”
The escalating legal exchange comes just weeks before New Jersey’s gubernatorial race heats up in earnest, with Sherrill and Ciattarelli already trading blows over military service, transparency, and integrity.
Key Points
- Ciattarelli’s attorneys refused to destroy Rep. Mikie Sherrill’s personnel records despite a cease-and-desist demand.
- The campaign argues the records were lawfully obtained through a FOIA, though the National Archives admitted an error.
- Sherrill has not released her Naval Academy disciplinary records, which Ciattarelli says could clarify her role in the 1994 cheating scandal.