Terrence T. McDonald reports for the North Jersey Record
Former Bergen County Executive Dennis McNerney has admitted using dozens of pseudonyms to post false statements about a GOP strategist on multiple websites four years ago, an admission he made in a letter of apology published on Sunday in The Record.
The published apology ended a five-year legal battle waged by strategist Alan Marcus in 2014, when Marcus filed a defamation lawsuit over McNerney’s postings, largely comments PolitickerNJ stories published before and after the 2014 race for Bergen County executive.
McNerney, who became the first Democrat elected Bergen County executive in 2002, said in the letter that the accusations he made anonymously about Marcus were designed to “scandalize Mr. Marcus for the benefit of Democratic candidates.” The online posts alleged that Marcus committed fraud, blackmail, and corruption and was about to be indicted.
McNerney agreed to a “significant” but undisclosed financial settlement with Marcus, according to the letter, dated April 29.
The published apology ended a five-year legal battle waged by strategist Alan Marcus in 2014, when Marcus filed a defamation lawsuit over McNerney’s postings, largely comments PolitickerNJ stories published before and after the 2014 race for Bergen County executive.
McNerney, who became the first Democrat elected Bergen County executive in 2002, said in the letter that the accusations he made anonymously about Marcus were designed to “scandalize Mr. Marcus for the benefit of Democratic candidates.” The online posts alleged that Marcus committed fraud, blackmail and corruption and was about to be indicted.
McNerney agreed to a “significant” but undisclosed financial settlement with Marcus, according to the letter, dated April 29.
“I sincerely apologize to Mr. Marcus (with whom I have never spoken nor met) and his family for my irresponsible acts and reprehensible conduct which caused multiple harm to them, Mr. Marcus’ business, his employees and his family,” the letter reads. “I have committed to help remove the internet publications I falsely created.”
The apology says “many of” McNerney’s posts about Marcus were false.
Marcus’ attorney, Joseph B. Fiorenzo, said in a statement that McNerney’s conduct is a lesson in the harm caused to “victims of internet influence campaigns.”
