The subject of court trials and the purpose of critics of both political parties, republican mayor Jack Tompkins from Pemberton Township IN Burlington’s unit remains incumbent despite the repetitive calls to resign from voters, town officials and New Jersey Governor Phil Murphy.
From the time of taking the office in January 2023, Tompkins, 64, a retired air force veteran, was a very critical subject Independent investigationwhich was commissioned by town officials and run by the Hackensack Law Firm. After the report, the Township Council officially assessed Tompkins.
Some of the grave allegations of the report included inappropriate interactions with women of juvenile rescuers 18; Sexual harassment of the town’s recreational director who sued Tompkins and the city, winning a sentence for half a million dollars; and the pattern of improper behavior – like poke a woman in his head or discussing rape in the office – sometimes accompanied the obscene language and “retaliation” explosions, supporting what the investigators who wrote the report, called the “serious refrigeration effect”, which silenced anyone who would hurt and allowed Tompkins to behave.
According to the report, Tompkins denied almost everything that investigators learned. He did not respond to phone calls and SMS -from asking for a comment.
After the effort of withdrawal, Tompkins did not remove ex officio last year, a second attempt is examined, which requires 4430 signatures, 25% of registered voters in the city, based on a petition for liberation Call the elections.
Officials say that in the powerful form of the mayor in Pemberton Township, Tompkins cannot be released. Tompkins was elected in 2022, and 53% of the votes during the 16-year-old democratic one Major David Patriarch. His four -year term ends in 2026.
Other Republicans Say that tompkins has created a toxic atmosphere that discourages people from working for the government and moving to moving to Picturesque place 28,000 in Sosnach.
“He did a lot of damage to our party and our city,” said Abby Bargar, a republican chairman of the city. “I can’t support him. It’s painful.”
In winter The Republican Club Pemberton Township banished Tompkins. “Something has changed in it,” said Charles de Charleroy, club leader. “He became rough and unacceptable.”
Recently, Tompkins attracted the anger of the entire community on July 1 for the cancellation of the annual water carnival on Mirror Lake The second year in a row without clear explanation. The holiday is a tradition of 1943, and many residents characterize cancellation as a form of revenge for complaints against him.
“The mayor is a train wreck and a wicked man – especially for women – who created only controversy,” said another Republican Matt Bianchini, chairman of the Township Council. “It is as vindictive as possible.”
WITH All-RepublicanFive -member council: “Man should be in heaven, do things,” said Bianchini. “But he is on an energy journey and will not cooperate with us. He finished the budget in December, but he kept it to this month to convince us.”
In a miniature interview for News about 6ABC campaign At the beginning of this month, Tompkins said: “I did nothing illegal, nothing unethical. I come every day and do work. There is no reason to give up.”
“Strange” interactions
During the investigation According to the report, an interview was interviewed with 38 employees and reviewed documents.
In a situation in which the inhabitants called “worry” Tompkins invited a 16-year-old rescue woman in Mirror Lake, to go with him in the car to the presidential lakes, in accordance with the report, which described this area as “a large part of the city’s unused property.”
The report said that the teenager refused, describing the interaction as “strange”. According to the report, Tompkins would not deny or confirm with the advisory council.
The male seasonal worker said that Tompkins “had a tendency to engrave around younger women”, which said he was “terrifying,” said the report.
“The boys working on the beach stood with the girls’ girls to protect them whenever the mayor appeared,” said Marti Graf Wenger, president of Browns Mills Improvement Association in an interview. Browns Mills is an independent part of the town of Pemberton; The association is working on improvement and Promote the areaOnce a “Gatsby style” place with elegant hotels that attracted a wealthy vacation in the forest in Philadelphia, said Wenger.
“Court lawsuits describe disgusting ways in detail [Tompkins] Treat and talks with employees, “she said at the meeting of the Township Council on July 7, which was filled with malicious residents for a canceled carnival.
Bianchini said that he was charged with a 16-year-old girl to the prosecutor of Burlington Office. Wenger said that the girl’s mother does not want the case to continue. According to the report, the mother who works in the town did not want to risk losing her job.
A spokesman for the prosecutor’s office said: “It was not found that the Penal Code in New Jersey was violated.”
Beach interactions and other incidents drew the attention of the most significant state officials, including the governor.
On Tuesday, a spokesman for Murphy issued a declaration of alleged incorrect Tompkins proceedings: “The governor was deeply disturbed by the findings of the investigation, which shows the model of sexual harassment and threat of retaliation by the mayor. He believes that the mayor should give up.”
And Wednesday, a member of the Democratic Congregation Andrea Katz, whose district includes Pemberton Township, said she asked New Jersey Prosecutor General Matthew Platkin to examine TomPKins. He didn’t answer. “The elections who called me are very concerned,” she said, adding: “I would not like my daughters near Tompkins.”
Settlement of a lawsuit in the amount of USD 500,000
In November 2023, Nicole Pittman, director of the town’s recreation, sued Tompkins and a town accusing sexual harassment, discrimination due to gender and retaliation against her and three other employees. Tompkins fired her, and the Township Council reversed the release. She didn’t come back.
Pittman claimed that during the parade of the fourth of July she asked the mayor why he was not wearing red, white and blue. According to the report, Tompkins replied: “You don’t know what I wear under my clothes.”
Pittman also claimed that Tompkins regularly threatens that they would snail-paced down, at the same time favorably the treatment of a male collaborator.
“Nicole would curse, and then canceled dozens of events she planned from retaliation,” said Vicky Adams, a retired bus driver of the town, which was supervised by Pittman. “He left no joy in this work.”
According to the report, Tompkins refused to answer questions about Pittman’s allegations.
Bianchini said Pittman settled a suit for $ 500,000.
“There were six trials, with five waiting, including one of our financial director. And someone else plans to submit,” he said. The town’s insurance requires that he pay 10% of settlements. “So we don’t have $ 50,000 and there are more,” said Bianchini. “Other settlements will take place in millions, increasing our debt.”
On Wednesday, Deputy Pittman, Jennifer Deeds, announced her resignation after a “impossible battle” from Tompkins. Wenger said Deeds was an adult, which was called rescuers when Tompkins appeared. She refused to comment.
Bragging
Once upon a time, the report said that Tompkins stuck a woman in her head and said: “I just put my finger in” “, making a slim allusion. Tompkins confessed to stabbing a woman, but not for that.
In another incident, the child said that his favorite part of the youth camp program was the use of sticks. According to the report, the mayor pointed to the employee and told the child: “Yesterday she tried to apply whips and chains for me, but I was not involved in it.” Tompkins denied this.
The same employee asked where he could sit at the meeting, and Tompkins said: “I know where you can sit,” according to the report. The eyewitnesses said that they heard this while the mayor denied it.
At the beginning of February 2024, Tompkins referred to a specific room in the city building as a “rape room” because he had a sofa. The report admitted that he was admitted to this expression.
Tompkins used offensive and sexist insults in relation to the employee and published a photo on Facebook, grabbing the breast not an employee in Thailand.
During the interview with investigators, Tompkins “boasted” about his frequent use of curses in the workplace.
Defending Tompkins, Sherry Scull, a member of the school board who sat on the Township Council, said: “I do not protrude 100% for Jacek. He made mistakes and must learn to bite his language.”
“But I have never seen him act without respect for women. He is a wise guy, and people sometimes do not like knowledgeable people. He played a key role in preserving city artifacts and reacted to voters,” said Scull. “Still, it was one long nightmare.”
End? Suspension?
The report of the law firm ended with the statement that the city should take action, including “termination, suspension, compulsory sensitivity training, mandatory leadership training and prohibiting the mayor of interaction with seasonal employees.”
Bianchini said that over a year has passed since the report was released and although discrediting little can be done to remove tompkins from work.
“We can’t do anything because nothing has been proven,” he added.
But bad feelings remain. The meetings still become noisy.
At the last meeting, Adams called Tompkins “Weasel” and said that he was sympathized with his wife and daughter. Tompkins suddenly left.
“It’s like a theater,” said Wenger.
“Well, there is one thing,” said Adams. “The mayor gathered the whole town: both Democrats and Republicans are against him.”
