Ciattarelli to file defamation lawsuit against Sherrill over debate claims

The campaign of Republican New Jersey gubernatorial candidate Jack Ciattarelli announced that it will be filing a defamation lawsuit against Democratic opponent, Rep. Mikie Sherrill, after she claimed during a debate that he contributed to the deaths of “tens of thousands of New Jerseyans” during the opioid crisis. 

During Wednesday’s debate, Sherrill accused Ciattarelli of contributing to the opioid epidemic through ties to pharmaceutical-backed training programs.  

“You know, my opponent likes to talk a lot about being a businessman, but I think what New Jersey doesn’t know as much about his business, how he made his millions by working with some of the worst offenders and saying that opioids were safe, putting out propaganda, publishing their propaganda while tens of thousands of New Jerseyans died,” Sherrill said. “And as if that wasn’t enough, then he was paid to develop an app so that people who are addicted could more easily get access to opioids. And so as he made millions, as these opioid companies made billions, tens of thousands of New Jerseyans died.” 

“Shame on you. During the Biden administration, she had no problem whatsoever with tens of thousands of people crashing our border each and every day, not knowing what impact they had in our communities with regard to [the] fentanyl crisis, fentanyl abuse, fentanyl distribution, vaccination rates and the like,” Ciattarelli responded. “With regard to everything she just said about my professional career, which provided [for] my family, it’s a lie. I’m proud of my career.”

JACK CIATTARELLI DEMANDS MIKIE SHERRILL ‘COME CLEAN’ AS EXPLOSIVE ACCUSATIONS FLY IN NJ GOVERNOR’S RACE 

Ciattarelli’s campaign strategist, Chris Russell, released a statement following the debate. 

“Last night, faced with continued questions about her refusal to release disciplinary records that would reveal her true role in the Naval Academy cheating scandal, and pressed about her unusually abbreviated tenure as a federal prosecutor, Mikie Sherrill cracked,” Russell said in a statement obtained by Fox News. 

“In doing so, she claimed — twice — that Jack Ciattarelli ‘killed tens of thousands of people, including children,’ a clearly defamatory attack that shocked the moderators, press, and public alike,” Russell added. “In a time where political violence and violent rhetoric are becoming all too prevalent, Mikie Sherrill baselessly and recklessly accusing a political opponent of mass murder in a televised debate crosses the line.”

NJ SHOWDOWN: CIATTARELLI PILES ON DEM RIVAL AFTER HEATED DEBATE WITH SCATHING NEW ADS 

“In doing so, she claimed – twice – that Jack Ciattarelli ‘killed tens of thousands of people, including children’, a clearly defamatory attack that shocked the moderators, press, and public alike,” Russell continued. “In a time where political violence and violent rhetoric are becoming all too prevalent, Mikie Sherrill baselessly and recklessly accusing a political opponent of mass murder in a televised debate crosses the line.” 

The lawsuit is expected to be filed by early next week, according to Ciattarelli’s campaign.

In response to the lawsuit threat, Sherrill’s campaign told NBC10 Philadelphia, “Jack’s reaction is to hide behind a lawsuit, not to take responsibility.”

“What’s reckless and irresponsible is Jack Ciattarelli making millions of dollars profiting off the pain of New Jerseyans — publishing misinformation about the dangers of opioid addiction and developing an app to coach patients to ask doctors for more drugs,” the campaign added. “As he was making millions, the Big Pharma companies made billions, and tens of thousands of New Jerseyans died. He is clearly unfit to lead and protect this state, and owes the people of New Jersey answers.”

Fox News Digital’s Madison Colombo contributed to this report.