Town Employee Caught On Camera Taking "Musella For Mayor" Sign In Parsippany

PARSIPPANY, NJ — A video circulating on social media is making waves this election season, capturing the removal of a political campaign sign in Parsippany.

The footage, posted to Facebook by Councilman Justin Musella, shows a Parsippany Department of Public Works (DPW) employee removing a “Musella for Mayor” sign and waving it in front of a home security camera.

According to Musella, his campaign team had placed the signs late Monday evening, and by Tuesday morning, a homeowner provided footage showing one of the signs being vandalized.

"This is taxpayer-funded campaign enforcement and theft, plain and simple. It’s abuse, it’s corrupt, it’s official misconduct—and it has to stop. Parsippany deserves better," Musella wrote.

According to a report from Parsippany Focus, the employee seen in the video has been identified as Anthony Wintermute.

Patch has since reached out to Parsippany Police for comment on the matter.

Musella added that he has since reached out to Business Administrator Jamie Cryan, "demanding answers" about the incident.

Musella was elected to the Parsippany-Troy Hills Council in November 2021 at age 29, following his service on the township's Economic Advisory Committee and as chairman of the Morris County Young Republicans.

This year, he’s mounting a primary challenge against incumbent Mayor James Barberio. As a first-term councilman, Musella has frequently clashed with Barberio over issues such as PILOT projects, town government transparency, and the annual budget.

Barberio was first elected as Parsippany’s mayor in 2009 and re-elected in 2013. After losing the seat to Democrat Michael Soriano in 2017, he made a comeback by defeating Soriano in the 2021 election.