Apology Issued To Washington Twp. Officials Following Lawsuit

LONG VALLEY, NJ — A former township committeeman issued a public apology to two Washington Township officials at a recent meeting following a defamation lawsuit.

According to Vice-Mayor Matt Murello, the initial incident occurred in April, when resident Gregg Forsbrey accused him and Committeeman Rich Wall, who has a 25-year career in law enforcement, of engaging in criminal conduct.

Murello said that the township attorney warned Forsbrey could be actionable in court, but he continued with the accusations, resulting in a defamation lawsuit against him.

“I have never shied away from public criticism and have always been transparent with my public actions,” Murello said. “I have never participated in any criminal activity, and last night that was made clear by one of my biggest detractors.”

The lawsuit was later settled in favor of Murello and Wall, and as part of it, Forsbrey was required to make a public apology to the elected officials.

“It’s no secret that Mr. Murello, Mr. Wall, and I, that we disagree. We’re all politicians… And what we stood for in the past — We all have the right to support and oppose whatever we want,” Forsbrey said. “I was wrong when I publicly referred to Mr. Wall as a criminal, and yourself also, Mr. Murello… I sincerely apologize, I misspoke, you are not a criminal.”

Forsbrey added that his comments did not help calm the "incendiary political discourse” facing the country. He also said that while he expects to continue to disagree with the officials in the future, he will “try to do so without accusation of criminal conduct or personal attacks.”