Lisa McCormick calls for recall revision to empower citizens

The process for deciding whether an elected official shall be removed from office requires petitions signed by a virtually impossible number of registered voters in what is an extraordinarily tight period of time, according to progressive New Jersey Democrat Lisa McCormick.

McCormick said the recall law should be revised to ensure that the requirements are practical.

Hudson County View reported that City Clerk Sean Gallagher said 42,523 valid signatures would be needed to force a recall election for Jersey City Councilwoman-at-Large Amy DeGise, who has shown no remorse following her July 19, 2022, hit-and-run at the intersection of Martin Luther King Drive and Forrest Street.

Petitioners have 160 days from the date that their effort receives approval for circulation from the City Clerk, which means citizens would need to collect an average of about 300 signatures every day.

DeGise nearly killed bicyclist Andrew Black after the UberEats deliveryman apparently ran a red light but she sped off without even tapping the brakes on her black 3,529-lb Nissan Rogue SUV.

She did not report the incident until six hours later. Critics have demanded DeGise’s resignation, but she will not step down.

Black filed a notice of tort claim with the city, a precursor to a lawsuit.

DeGise was sentenced to a $5,000 and a one-year license suspension after she pleaded guilty to charges of leaving the scene of the crash.

New Jersey voters approved a constitutional amendment in 1993 that provides for the recall of any elected official in the state, but parts have been struck down such as the United States Congress.

A number of revelations surfaced since the incident suggesting that DeGise is a person of poor character, including her unpaid $2,865 veterinarian bill, living with her long-time boyfriend on combined salaries of nearly $300,000 at an apartment intended for moderate-income residents, and her attempt to use her elected office to prevent her unregistered and illegally parked vehicle from being towed in Hoboken.

The Jersey Journal reported that DeGise's driving record also includes four accidents, two license suspensions, and dozens of parking tickets.

DeGise and her long-time boyfriend are living at College Towers, an income-restricted building where each household’s income must not exceed $64,000.

A recall petition demanding that an election be held must be signed by at least 25 percent of the voters registered in the jurisdiction, even though official records often contain large portions of dead people and individuals that have moved away.

McCormick said that most recall efforts fizzled out once citizens learn that the process is designed to waste their time and energy.

McCormick is best known for her 2018 Democratic primary challenge to infamous politician Sen. Bob Menendez, whose son was sent to Congress last year with DeGise’s help.

Court records show that Oradell Animal Hospital in Paramus won a default judgment against her after DeGise failed to pay the $2,865 that she owed.

John J Collins, DeGise's fiance, was arrested and charged with aggravated assault on an officer, disorderly conduct and obstructing a government function, according to reports filed by police responding to an August 2010 fight outside O'Connell's Bar on Montgomery Street.

Ward E Councilman James Solomon, Ward F Councilman Frank Gilmore, a legion of social media users, and at least 100 people who attended a city council meeting in August have called for DeGise's resignation.

Ward D Councilman Yousef Saleh and City Council President Joyce Watterman recently said they will leave it up to the voters to determine DeGise’s fate, but her term runs through December 31, 2025.

Councilmembers Daniel Rivera, Richard Boggiano, Mira Prinz-Arey, Denise Ridley and Mayor Steve Fulop have remained silent since DeGise’s hit-and-run crash