Township documents confirm mob style political hit by calogero against bressi

JACKSON-Mob style tactics continue on the Jackson Township Council as the council continues to retaliate against Councilman Ken Bressi. This week, a story in the Lakewood Scoop further highlighted the political infighting within the Jackson Republican Party, which has been condemned by the national and state GOP leaders of late.

For his testimony in Jackson’s anti-Semitism lawsuit, where he testified and incriminated all of the sitting township councilmembers and Mayor Michael Reina, Bressi’s political power was cut off by Council President Barry Calogero, a Trump appointee of the USDA Farm Service.

Calogero essentially fired Bressi from all but one position in township government except for his position on the Veterans Services Committee. The reason he was left on that committee is most likely because Bressi is the only veteran on the township governing body. Bressi is a Marine Corps Vietnam War veteran. No other elected officials in town have any military service history.

In retaliation, Calogero fired Bressi from the Community Development and Land Use Laq Board, Council on Affordable Housing, Economic Development and Advisory Committee, Emergency Medical Services Advisory Committee, Law and Public Safety Committee, Mobile Home Park Advisory Committee, Open Space Preservation Committee, Public Works Committee and he was removed from his position on the township planning board.

The Lakewood Scoop alleges Calogero is engaging in witness tampering and witness intimidation against any township employees or officials who testify against the township in an ongoing federal civil rights lawsuit against the town.

In his deposition, Bressi alleged that Mayor Michael Reina and the entire township council were engaging in anti-Semitic behavior. Shortly after allies of the town council leaked Bressi’s deposition to Rise Up Ocean County in an attempt to smear Bressi, Calogero took action against Bressi’s public positions.

Calogero has yet to publicly address these allegations launched by the Lakewood Scoop.

Featured

Phil Stilton Latest posts

Phil Stilton is the Editor and Publisher of Shore News Network, an independent digital newsroom providing original reporting on New Jersey, national news, government, public policy, public safety, courts, and community affairs.

As founder of the publication, Stilton leads editorial strategy, investigative reporting, and daily newsroom operations while overseeing coverage that reaches millions of readers annually.

With extensive experience covering municipal government, county government, state legislatures, elections, law enforcement, emergency management, and public records, Stilton specializes in translating complex government actions into clear, factual reporting. His work frequently relies on primary source documents, including court filings, legislation, public meeting records, election finance disclosures, government databases, police reports, and Freedom of Information and Open Public Records Act (OPRA) requests. He has reported extensively on local government accountability, taxpayer spending, campaign finance, public corruption investigations, infrastructure, public safety, and the policies affecting New Jersey residents.

Under Stilton's editorial leadership, Shore News Network has grown into one of New Jersey's largest independent digital news organizations, publishing thousands of original news articles each year while providing breaking news coverage, investigative reporting, and analysis across state and local government. The publication's reporting is routinely sourced from official government agencies, public officials, court records, and firsthand documentation, with a commitment to transparency, attribution, corrections when warranted, and clearly distinguishing factual reporting from opinion.

Stilton's journalism follows established newsroom standards emphasizing accuracy, verification, fairness, and accountability. Every effort is made to verify information through official records and multiple reliable sources before publication. His reporting is intended to provide readers with timely, well-documented information that helps them understand the issues affecting their communities, while maintaining editorial independence from political parties, government agencies, advocacy organizations, and commercial interests.

Readers can submit story tips, corrections, public records, or media inquiries through the official Shore News Network website or its verified social media channels. Shore News Network welcomes corrections and updates when new information becomes available as part of its ongoing commitment to accurate and transparent journalism.