Council Members Move To Censure Musella At Parsippany Meeting

PARSIPPANY, NJ — In a contested move, the Parsippany Township Council has moved forward with plans to censure Councilman Justin Musella over an alleged ethics violation linked to a traffic stop in August 2023.

On Tuesday, the Parsippany Township Council voted to draw up censure charges against Musella following the release of police body cam footage from the traffic stop, in which Musella and his wife were pulled over for speeding.

In the public footage, Musella and his wife were stopped by an officer who appeared to recognize them before requesting ID. During the conversation, Musella admitted to urging his wife to speed in order to catch a train. While handing over their information, Musella also presented the officer with his official council business card.

While Musella’s wife received only a warning, the council argued that Musella’s use of the council card during the stop amounted to misconduct, prompting the call for an ethics investigation.

Parsippany Municipal Attorney Michael Lavery stated during the public meeting that, although he had not seen the video, he believed Musella's act of handing over his business card directly violated the ethics statute.

Musella contended that the video, which had been made public and circulated in 2023, was being resurrected now due to his challenge against Mayor Barberio in the upcoming election.

"This is just pure political theatre. I want to talk about the issues that matter to the residents of Parsippany, but clearly you may want to do something else, so let's have at it," Musella said.

Council President Paul Carifi argued that Musella's previous complaints about the police department and his concerns over speeding issues in the township were not helping his case. "How do you get up here and complain about that, and you're in a car that's speeding," Carifi said.

Carifi also argued that since Musella's intention to run for mayor in the upcoming election had been known for some time, it could have influenced the officer's judgment during the traffic stop.

"Where I think that comes into play is whether this officer knew that, technically, we vote on their contract. If you were to become mayor and this officer gives you a ticket, does he think in the back of his mind, 'Oh, if I give him a ticket, how is that going to affect me in the future for promotions?'" Carifi said.

Musella contended that if the police officer had felt intimidated by him, it would have been documented in the police report, and that Carifi's argument was nothing more than speculation.

During the public comment period, residents voiced their opposition to the move, with one man asserting that it was a clear attempt to push Musella out of the GOP primary.

"This whole attempt is garbage, and it's wrong, and it's beneath you... I'm urging you to stand up and say, 'Let's deal with what's important in this town... this is really nuts,'" resident Hank Heller said."

Despite public opposition, the council voted to draw up censure charges, with only Councilwoman Judy Hernandez voting against the motion.