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Joseph “JoJo” Merla, who served three months in federal prison after being convicted of money laundering in 2007, is poised to win one of two open seats on the Keyport Borough Council after Tuesday’s election .
With mail-in and provisional ballots yet to be counted, the Republican leads all four candidates by 1,759 votes. Incumbent Kathleen McNamara, a Democrat, is second with 1,749 votes and would keep her seat if it remains that way. In third place is her fellow Democrat, former Keyport Mayor Robert Bergen, with 1,711 votes, and Republican Althea Washington is in fourth place with 1,641 votes.
The Monmouth County Board of Elections will receive mail-in ballots up to six days after the polls close, provided the ballot is postmarked by Election Day.
Merla pleaded guilty in 2007 to laundering $65,000 during the FBI investigation into Operation Bid Rig in dishonest government figures around Monmouth County. He is the younger brother of former Keyport Mayor John Merla, who was sentenced to 22 months in prison in October 2007 after pleading guilty to taking a $2,500 bribe. John Merla was Joseph’s campaign manager.
In an interview last month with the Asbury Park Press, Joseph Merla — a restaurateur and construction company owner in Keyport — identified “Keyport finances” as his top campaign issue. He said he plans to tackle this with “more solid, practical and smart numbers” and “more importantly, smart spending.”
He currently chairs the Keyport Planning Board, appointed by Republican Keyport Mayor Rose Araneo. Merla said last month that he would resign from that position if elected due to a conflict of interest.
“But if the mayor wants me to, I can be appointed as council liaison,” he said.
Regarding his felony conviction, Merla said: “I understand that trust is a critical part of any leadership position. Twenty years ago, I spent 90 days in federal prison. It was a challenging chapter in my life, but it taught me valuable lessons about responsibility, resilience, and the importance of community support. I then learned that it is not about what happens to you, but about what you learn and then do with it. It has taught me that I need to help those less fortunate, and I do that every day, by thanking those who gave me the opportunity in life to not judge me entirely by my past.
Contact Jerry Carino at [email protected].