Jack Ciattarelli Gets Green Light to Sue Mikie Sherrill Over Opioid Crisis Comments [WATCH]

New Jersey Republican gubernatorial candidate Jack Ciattarelli confirmed Tuesday that his campaign has received regulatory approval to move forward with a defamation lawsuit against Democratic opponent Rep. Mikie Sherrill over her claim that he profited from the opioid crisis and contributed to the deaths of “tens of thousands of New Jerseyans,” as reported by Fox News.

“It’s a baseless, reckless lie,” Ciattarelli said on America’s Newsroom.

“I just got approval yesterday from the regulators that we can go ahead with our lawsuit immediately, which is what I plan to do. … We’re not going to tolerate that kind of lie. The whole campaign has been based on a stack of lies.”

The lawsuit stems from remarks Sherrill made during a debate earlier this month, where she accused Ciattarelli of earning millions “working with some of the worst offenders” in the pharmaceutical industry and “putting out propaganda” that minimized the dangers of opioids.

~ ~ Jack Ciattarelli cleared to sue Mikie Sherrill for defamation over opioid epidemic remark https://t.co/Bz4NroiO0x pic.twitter.com/JUBxtPOb9M

— Mary (@matjendav4) October 28, 2025

“[He was] putting out propaganda, publishing their propaganda while tens of thousands of New Jerseyans died,” Sherrill said during the debate.

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“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.”

.@Jack4NJ likes to talk about his career as a “small business owner.”

Here’s the truth: he got paid by big opioid companies to publish misinformation about the safety of opioids. He even got paid to develop an app designed to help patients game the system to get opioid… pic.twitter.com/J4tU0Fz4v0

— Mikie Sherrill (@MikieSherrill) October 8, 2025

Ciattarelli denied the accusations, calling them false and politically motivated. He also criticized Sherrill for ignoring the current fentanyl crisis tied to illegal immigration under the Biden administration.

His campaign strategist, Chris Russell, released a statement shortly after the debate announcing Ciattarelli’s intent to file suit.

Sherrill’s campaign defended the congresswoman’s remarks. “Jack’s reaction is to hide behind a lawsuit, not to take responsibility,” said campaign communications director Sean Higgins.

“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.”

Sherrill repeated her claims at a press conference on the opioid epidemic, saying:

“So you heard it, Jack made millions. The opioid companies made billions, and thousands of New Jerseyans were dying.”

When pressed by reporters about whether she believed Ciattarelli was personally responsible for those deaths, Sherrill said, “I think we’ve laid out the case that Jack is complicit with these opioid companies, in league with these opioid companies.”

When asked again, she added, “I think he is right there with the people that again paid billions of dollars, so I think that the line is pretty clear.”

The defamation case will proceed just one week before New Jersey voters head to the polls in a tight gubernatorial race. Ciattarelli, a former state assemblyman, said he remains confident about his chances despite the controversy.

“A win is a win, and I believe we’re going to come out victorious,” he said.

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