Hill Urges Ocean County GOP To Put 'Gilmore Regime' In Past

TOMS RIVER, NJ — A day after George Gilmore stepped down as chairman of the Ocean County Republican Party, Toms River mayoral candidate Maurice Hill called on the county's Republican Party to "turn the page" on its history.

Gilmore, 70, was convicted April 17 of two counts of failing to collect, account for, and pay over payroll taxes for two quarters in 2016, and one count of making false statements on a 2015 loan application, following a two-week federal trial.

Initially Gilmore resisted calls that came from a number of corners, including Hill and his mayoral opponents, Daniel Rodrick and Joseph Coronato, to leave his public posts.

But the announcement by the office of state Attorney General Gurbir S. Grewal that a court order would be sought to remove him as chair of the Ocean County Board of Elections led to Gilmore resigning that post on Monday, followed by his resignation as party chairman on Wednesday. The Asbury Park Press reported Barbara Lanuto, the county's vice chair, is the acting chair until a new chairperson is chosen, which is anticipated to happen sometime in May.

Gilmore, who faces up to 30 years in prison and is scheduled for sentencing on July 23, had been chair of the Board of Elections since 1995 and chair of the county GOP organization since 1996. He has been seen as the most powerful Republican party boss in New Jersey, and served on the transition team of Chris Christie when Christie was elected governor in 2009.

Hill, who's currently the Toms River Council vice president, on Thursday issued a statement urging the county's Republican party to put Gilmore in its past.

"It is time for the Ocean County Republican Party to turn the page on over 23 years of control by the Gilmore regime. Mr. Gilmore's forced resignation is an opportunity for us to let the people of Ocean County know that our Party is led by men and women of character who are committed to working for the best interests of our citizens and taxpayers and not for special interests," Hill said.

"The Republican Primary in Toms River on June 4th is an opportunity to send a message to all Ocean County voters that the County GOP has corrected course. We can do that by rejecting Mr. Gilmore's handpicked slate of candidates for Toms River Mayor and Council and voting for the Toms River We The People slate, the only team that has demonstrated leadership and dedicated service to community and country."

Hill decided to enter the Republican primary independently after the Toms River Regular Republican Club's nominating committee chose Coronato, the former Ocean County prosecutor, by a 10-9 vote and after Hill's requests for a vote of the club's membership were denied. Rodrick, also a Toms River councilman, also chose to run an independent campaign following the decision of the nominating committee. Read more: 4 Candidate Slates As GOP Fights Over Toms River Mayor-Council

Hill, who had run on a joint ticket with Toms River Mayor Thomas Kelaher and council members Brian Kubiel and George Wittmann, resigned from the Toms River Regular Republican Club when he filed to run for mayor. At the time of his resignation, Hill asked the club to divide campaign funds that had been donated to that campaign evenly among the four men to then redistribute to other campaigns.

Gilmore declined to allow that, Hill has said previously. Hill said documents filed with the New Jersey Election Law Enforcement Commission show the campaign fund of the Committee to Reelect Kelaher, Hill, Kubiel and Wittman has a balance of $103,330 as of mid-April.

Hill said he and Wittmann have asked Carmen Memoli, the treasurer of the account, to distribute the funds, which were raised over the past four years, evenly among the candidates' individual campaign accounts.

"As of April 24, Mr. Memoli has not distributed the funds," Hill said. He called on Lanuto to change that.

"As a show of good faith and a new day in the Ocean County GOP, I call upon Ms. Lanuto to reverse the freezing of campaign funds donated to my former running mates and me, and to distribute the funds as the candidates requested in January," Hill said.

Previous coverage:

• Gilmore Conviction: What's Next For Ocean County GOP Chair
• Lacey Twp. Continuing Relationship With Gilmore Firm: Mayor
• Toms River Mayoral Hopefuls: Gilmore Should Leave Ocean GOP Chair
• Gilmore Guilty On 3 Counts In $1.5M Tax Evasion Case, Jury Rules
• Gilmore Tax Evasion Trial Under Way In Federal Court
• Ocean County GOP Chair Gilmore Indicted On $1M Tax Evasion: Feds
• Feds Subpoena Election Board Records On GOP Chair Gilmore: Report
• Ocean County GOP Party Head Under Investigation For Unpaid Taxes: Report

Have a news tip? Email karen.wall@patch.com Follow Toms River Patch on Facebook.