Report: Township Paid Mayor's Former Aide for Her Silence in Harassment Claim
Newspaper report states Toms River paid $143,000 for silence; mayor denies allegations
A former aide to Toms River's mayor claims that she was sexually harassed and paid $143,300 for her silence, according to an Asbury Park Press report published Friday.
Mayor Thomas Kelaher denied the claims made by his former spokeswoman, 41-year-old Angela Santoriello, calling them a "shakedown" scheme by a "disturbed person," the paper reports.
Township Attorney Kenneth Fitzsimmons told the paper that Santoriello made the harassment complaint the same day she was to be fired after disciplinary issues including tardiness, verbal abuse and using her job title for personal reasons.
Kelaher denied wrongdoing and told the paper that he wanted to help Santoriello, who worked for the township from 2008 to 2010, following the death of her father.
The money was paid as a worker' compensation settlement and Santoriello signed confidentiality and non-disparagement agreements, according to the paper. Santoriello said that she came forward with her story now to "tell the truth."
More information is available on the Press website.
Jennifer Messina
11:09 am on Friday, February 15, 2013
shouldn't the title say "mayor's former aide"?
TRheat
11:09 am on Friday, February 15, 2013
Awesome! OH man!
S. Bar
11:29 am on Friday, February 15, 2013
Either way this women got money that she should not have and I want it returned to the tax payers!!!
mjmjr
5:14 am on Saturday, February 23, 2013
DEMOCRAT ARE PAYING HER NOW,SHE BROKE,WHAT A JOKE.AND THE STORIES DONT STOP HERE.
Mike L
11:29 am on Friday, February 15, 2013
So what else is new, another bombshell dropped. And, he wanted to help her after the death of her father and got her a job from 2008 to 2010, how many perople did she jump ahead looking for a job. And, why did Workers Compensation "Pay" if it is not true, or was there someones arm twisted because they didn't want it to come out at Election time.......Taxpayers monies used again!!!!!
Chief Wahoo
12:54 pm on Friday, February 15, 2013
The Pope of Toms River
Chief Wahoo
12:54 pm on Friday, February 15, 2013
keep paying your property taxes sheep, the wolves know what is best for you
aermanc
12:54 pm on Friday, February 15, 2013
Can you say a little "coo-coo"..........lmao
Mary Chase
2:34 pm on Friday, February 15, 2013
Exactly!
Diane
1:35 pm on Friday, February 15, 2013
This sounds like insurance fraud if indeed workman's comp insurance money was used as hush money. This needs to be sent to the US Prosecutor as we know if it is referred to the NJ Attorney General it will just be swept under the rug as has been the case for recent Ocean County Republican Freeholder official, family member and AshBritt. If all is true,for the sake of all women this woman is a brave sole for standing up and reporting the illegal bribe hush money and should not be left hanging out in the cold. She needs the protection of the US Prosecutor to bring the truth out along with the real penalties for ALL involved in developing the scheme and not be swept under the rug. The Mayor said they paid her $143,000 because he wanted to help her. I do not believe that is a permitted use of insurance proceeds.
Mary Chase
2:06 pm on Friday, February 15, 2013
Why is she brave for reporting it now, so long after the fact, instead of when it supposedly happened, and instead of when they supposedly tried to silence her? Why did this "brave" woman not speak up then? For money, that's why! And now she's broke and wants more unearned cash, that's all! There is a word for that type of behavior, but it's not brave!!
Mary Chase
1:35 pm on Friday, February 15, 2013
So if she breached a confidentiality agreement, shouldn't she have to pay back the money? Instead she is obviously looking for more money! She is admittedly emotionally disturbed and apparently sees going public with accusations as a way to extort more money from the system. Don't give her the attention or the money she craves!!
aermanc
2:34 pm on Friday, February 15, 2013
Can you say "coo-coo"?
riverfest
2:34 pm on Friday, February 15, 2013
looks like she was passed around from the "pope " to mc guckin to ritacco - nice game of tag football! how'd she get a job in town hall and then the school system? time for the pope wanna be to resign. do they have dress up day in town hall?
Diane
3:13 pm on Friday, February 15, 2013
Does anyone disagree the US Prosecutor needs to see if this is insurance fraud and if so determine who was involved?
Quest
7:53 am on Sunday, February 17, 2013
Not sure about that, however the good old boy's in River City had a heck of a week, They are going to spend more money and hire a part timer at $40,000 to answer Sandy questions, they gave a full tenure to a non civil service Dept head, and now this little diddy about our fine Mayor and his female aide . What's next?
Panach
7:53 am on Sunday, February 17, 2013
Now I know why he's been no where to be found post Sandy. Time to resign and move to a nice retirement home with a keen shuffle board team. This group has the largest chahonnes of any other town in Ocean County. What a joke this town has become.
knarfie
3:13 pm on Friday, February 15, 2013
I don,t have much respect for too many politicians, but this story seems to be contrived by someone with other problems. Hard to accept on face value.
Robert Bressman
7:53 am on Sunday, February 17, 2013
If you don't have much respect for politicians, how is it you can't accept this at face value? She wasn't a kook when Mc guckin was dating her, she wasn't a kook when they hired her for $40 thou for a part time job, she wasn't a kook when they gave her an $8 thou raise, she wasn't kook when they put her in the school system. If she was a kook they should've let her file the lawsuit, the way they tell it, they would've won their case hands down, instead what we the people got was behind close door meeting, A payoff of a $143 thou from taxpayer funds to keep it quiet. If we have the President having sex in the Oval office, is it so hard to believe that our Mayor stepped over the line? The way they tried to hide this, and they way they try to portray her now, something happened.
Diane
7:53 am on Sunday, February 17, 2013
I agree with respect to the politicians but why did they pay $143,300 through workman's compensation. Is that legal if she was going to get fired and on same day they decided she was entitled to workman's compensation. Guess need to know what the workman's compensation was for and it wasnt as the Mayor said in just trying to help her out.
Sue
7:53 am on Sunday, February 17, 2013
Get the truth: "This needs to be sent to the US Prosecutor, as we know if it is referred to the NJ Attorney General it will just be swept under the rug, as has been the case for recent Ocean County Republican Freeholder, family member and AshBritt." He said, she said...
In any case, let an insurance fraud investigator see if the "hush money" was an abuse of the town's insurance policy. And also in any case, why should a politician "help" a friend when qualified people on the job-waiting-list are passed over?
Exit82
7:53 am on Sunday, February 17, 2013
"The Pope" is wondering how the hell he got into this mess in the first place. Now, that is a story.
TR Grouch
7:53 am on Sunday, February 17, 2013
If our system works by paying an employee $140,000 whose being "fired for cause" because its less expensive than defending the case, our system is seriously broken. How about we take something like this to trial and send a message that frivolous, unfounded, meritless cases are not going to be rewarded. That is, as long as nobody is worried about the truth of the matter.....Just sayin...
John
7:53 am on Sunday, February 17, 2013
An article in the Asbury Park Press that simply states the accusations is hardly a "report"
Robert Bressman
1:30 pm on Sunday, February 17, 2013
Did you read the transcript the press had on line from her attorney outlining what transpired between the Mayor and Ms Santorelli? They also named Mcguckin as a witness, they also have the Mayor's cellphone records, their case seemed pretty solid, that's why I'm not surprised the town settled, although she should've went for more money, that's what happens when you get a bad lawyer.
mjmjr
7:53 am on Sunday, February 17, 2013
SHE RAN OUT OF MONEY,NOW NEEDS MORE,JUST GO PUBLIC AND YOU WILL RECEIVE.
Girl
7:53 am on Sunday, February 17, 2013
It's so sad to see that there are individuals that are truly injured and those parties are not properly compensated.
Exit82
7:53 am on Sunday, February 17, 2013
Kelaher, from now on your Delta Tau Chi name is "The Pope."
George Schuck
7:53 am on Sunday, February 17, 2013
Yes this is to Hard accept, but can you explain to me why the council and the mayor would agree to a settlement of $143,300 of taxpayers money if there was no truth to the allegations, , I personally believe there should be a full investigation and the US prosecutor should be involved in the investigation
Chief Wahoo
1:30 pm on Sunday, February 17, 2013
How many times are you going to have your money abused by these thugs before you do something about it.
Are you just going to keep handing over your money to these criminals. At least a propert tax revolt would make them have to use force to take it. Bloated salaries , cronyism , nepotism , health benefits for life , pensions. All for what ???? Because they are public leeches and they tell you they are special. STOP THE MADNESS !!!
Property Tax Revolt.
Michael Capo
10:42 pm on Monday, February 18, 2013
I whole heartedly agree. Thats the only thing they understand. Turn off the money spigot until someone takes over TR government who understands that they are there to serve the tax paying public, not the reverse. TAX REVOLT NOW !!!! AND SECESSION FOR ALL BARRIER ISLAND TOWNS OPPRESSED BY TR.
TRWatch
1:30 pm on Sunday, February 17, 2013
There are more questions than answers. Who else knew the, alleged, harassment was going on and benefited financially by keeping quit. There were a number of questionable raises handed out to township employees who also happen to be Kelaher insiders. The Pope has some explaining to do.
Mary Chase
10:42 pm on Monday, February 18, 2013
I don't know why people would believe a word out of this girl's mouth because, before anything else can be considered, you are only reading about her because she agreed to a confidential settlement of litigation (not unusual) and has now gone against her sworn duty and broken her sworn word and has gone public. So, She's a liar right out of the gate and her word is meaningless. Plus, she's obviously in need of more money, only this time no payment is forthcoming. She needs to go away!
Kitha
10:42 pm on Monday, February 18, 2013
George, Robert & Diane, seems you are all on to something!!
OC DEM
10:42 pm on Monday, February 18, 2013
Angela is a liar! She Definetly got paid to talk like this! The mayor is over 80 why would he sdo something with her. Nothing good to look at anyway. Your just sorry you lost your job Angela and milking the cow of wellfare!!
George Schuck
12:01 pm on Tuesday, February 19, 2013
OC DEM, She may be a liar but think about it, if she was such a terrible employee why did she receive a $6,000 a year raise, the township is very generous in giving raises with the taxpayers money, and then they fired her, and they gave her $148,000 and you see nothing wrong with that? By any chance are you a township employee
Marynary
1:52 pm on Tuesday, February 19, 2013
I have no dog in this fight. But it seems to me that it is a true government scandal that involves more than one high township official over a period of years.
Perhaps a word to define would be "Bimbo" an attractive but stupid young woman, especially one with loose morals.
When the party was over it got ugly on both sides.
Somebody got "shut up" money.
Now the money is all gone.