Councilwoman Makes Obscene Gesture, Curses at Mahwah Mayor During Meeting

Councilwoman H. Lisa DiGiulio drew applause from residents last week after she flashed both middle fingers at the Mahwah mayor, and called him a “piece of [expletive]” during an intense township council meeting.

DiGiulio’s actions came after the council voted 6-0 Thursday to reinstate DPW Director Ed Sinclair who was fired by Mayor Bill Laforet after an anonymous letter claimed that DPW computers were being used to watch inappropriate material.

DiGiulio got out of her seat and addressed the audience as she called Laforet ”a piece of [expletive]” for bringing in a political poster featuring her alongside Sinclair and others. The mayor indicated it would be a conflict of interest if she voted to reinstate him during a closed session.

The crowd cheered and DiGiulio went back to her seat, but not before giving the mayor not one, but two middle fingers.

DiGiulio’s outburst was the result of a fierce township council meeting that drew Sinclair supporters by the numbers who voiced their concern over Mayor Laforet’s firing of the Department of Public Works Director.

The first to voice their concern was Sinclair’s wife, Jackie, who called the firing ”political retaliation and a witch hunt.”

Sinclair’s wife told the Council that when her husband and Laforet ran against each other, Sinclair chose to run a clean campaign and not hurt Laforet’s family - despite being told he should use the information that he knew.

But the woman said that Laforet has done the same thing Sinclair vowed not to do: hurt his family.

“That for me is unforgivable,” she said.

Sinclair’s sister also spoke positive words about her brother, saying Sinclair has a commitment to volunteerism and that “no one should go through what he’s gone through in the last two weeks.”

A resident stepped foward and said Laforet “attempted to tarnish and ruin Ed Sinclair’s reputation.”

“You should be ashamed,” the resident told Laforet. “You ruined the township of Mahwah.”

One resident from New York called the situation “Chicago bullish-style politics.”

“I don’t live here, and I’m glad I don’t,” the New York man said.

Laforet sat quietly through it all, until the Council voted to go into closed session to discuss personnel issues.

More than an hour later, an upset council emerged and ultimately voted 6-0 to reinstate Sinclair.

But before the meeting was over, Councilman Robert Hermansen said Mayor Laforet had a “despicable nature” in the closed session and was “disgusted” and “shocked” over the mayor’s actions. He proposed to vote “no confidence” in the mayor - which was passed.

“That man has no right to be the mayor of this town,” Councilman Hermansen said, who also questions why a personnel matter is being handled by the Mahwah Police Department instead of the business administrator if nothing criminal is occurring.

Laforet has said he stands by his decision to terminate Sinclair, noting that ”there is evidence that inappropriate material was being viewed over a prolonged period of time in the DPW,” though he did not state exactly what evidence there is.

He also called the council’s decision to reinstate Sinclair “a slap in the face to the taxpayers of Mahwah” and “a poor message to send to other employees of this town.”

“The council obviously lacks the moral compass that taxpayers should expect of their elected officials,” a press release from Laforet stated.

Related story:

Mahwah DPW Director Suspended for Claims of ‘Inappropriate Material’ Viewed on Computers