Bedminster Democratic Chairman Accuses GOP of Election Day 'Harassment'

It all started with a series of spats about political signs posted near polling places.

But a little more than a week since Election Day in Bedminster, the township's Democratic Committee chairman has filed harassment charges against several Republicans in town—including one who won reelection to the Township Committee last week.

Charles Eader, the Democratic chairman who is bringing the suit, charged that Township Committeeman Bernard Pane and several other Republicans, including Pane's wife, Christine, had created "an atmosphere of fear" by allegedly destroying political signs on Tuesday, Nov. 5. Eader also made a series of allegations that the Republicans in question had caused a public nuisance, violated the opposition's First Amendment rights, and even that Pane had come close to running over one of the Democratic volunteers with his vehicle.

Eader filed the charges in the Bedminster Municipal Court, but because Pane is an elected official—reelected to his fourth term as committeeman last week—the case was moved to the Somerset County Courthouse for disposition, a Bedminster court official confirmed.

According to Eader, the entire affair began around 8 a.m., about an hour after the Democrats had put a series of signs along Robertson Drive, more than 100 feet from a polling station on Artillery Park Road. 

Eader claimed Republican Municipal Committee Chairman George Rodelius called him and said to move the signs since they were on private property, which Eader said he refused to do.

Eader said he feared the Republicans "might be up to something," so he and another Democrat drove out to watch the signs. About 15 minutes later, he said, Pane allegedly drove up and yelled that the signs had to be removed.

From that point until later that afternoon, the Bedminster Police and the township clerk were drawn into a back-and-forth fracas that continued to escalate, according to Eader.

It included accusations that Christine Pane had drove to the site of the signs, illegally parked her Volkswagen Beetle far from the curb and near a fire hydrant as she allegedly stomped on signs. Eader also charged that at one point, Pane himself had allegedly almost run over a Democrat volunteer who was with Eader, yelling, "Don't get hit by a car!" as he sped off.

The entire thing sounds like "sour grapes," said Rodelius, who denied being involved in anything like what Eader described.

"We ran a clean campaign, and we had our biggest win in years," he said, noting that both Pane and his committee running mate, Staci Santucci, easily won by wide margins over their Democratic rivals. 

As far as Pane is concerned, the only motivation he can see is "vindictiveness."

"The entire thing is ridiculous and unwarranted," Pane said, adding he hadn't received any notification aside from a reporter's phone call that charges had been brought.

Mayor Steve Parker, a Republican, said he'd like both sides to reach an agreement and not bother voters on Election Day.

"I'd like to get both political chairman in a room and make a gentleman's agreement to leave voters alone on Election Day. I think the voters would be enormously happier, and both parties would do better with happy voters," he said.

There always seem to be "some kind of a dust-up" come Election Day, the mayor said. "It'd be nice if everyone took a deep breath and let voters vote."