Ciattarelli’s campaign strategist Chris Russell said Sherrill’s comments were “a clearly defamatory attack that shocked the moderators, press and public alike.”

“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,” Russell added.

Russell said Mark Sheridan, the campaign’s counsel, will be involved with the suit, adding that other lawyers could be brought in.

A request for comment from Sherrill’s campaign was not immediately returned Thursday night.

Sean Higgins, communications director for Sherrill’s campaign, said Ciattarelli’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,” he said in a statement.

From Camden and Cherry Hill to Trenton and the Jersey Shore, what about life in New Jersey do you want WHYY News to cover? Let us know.

During the second and last debate of the 2025 New Jersey gubernatorial election, Republican Jack Ciattarelli and Democrat Mikie Sherrill spent an hour debating on a range of issues, including immigration, the opioid crisis and Sherrill’s military records.

The debate took place Wednesday at the New Brunswick Performing Arts Center. It was sponsored by WHYY News partner 6abc, its sister station WABC-TV in New York City and the Edward J. Bloustein School of Planning and Public Police at Rutgers University-New Brunswick.

Both candidates doubled down on issues they touched on, such as affordability and taxes, during their first debate in September at Rider University. Ciattarelli continued to position himself as a Jersey guy with solutions to address issues facing the state. Sherrill stuck with framing Ciattarelli as a loyalist to President Donald Trump.

Ciattarelli and Sherrill had more heated exchanges

The format was a more straightforward debate, as opposed to the town hall-style forum at Rider. This gave room for both candidates to directly trade verbal jabs. Sherrill accused Ciattarelli of profiting from publishing “propaganda” on behalf of opioid makers, which she alleged became the leading cause of death for thousands in New Jersey.

During Ciattarelli’s last gubernatorial bid, NJ.com reported that Ciattarelli’s medical publishing company was paid $12 million by pharmaceutical companies to publish materials promoting opioids as a low-risk treatment for chronic pain.

“And as if that wasn’t enough, then he was paid to develop an app so that people who were addicted could more easily get access to opioids,” she said.

“Shame on you,” Ciattarelli said in response before accusing Sherrill of supporting open border policies that fueled a surge in fentanyl distribution.

The exchange led to Ciattarelli pointing out that Sherrill was not allowed to walk with her graduating class at the U.S. Naval Academy.

“I got to walk at my college graduation,” he said.

“And I’m so glad that you then went on to kill tens of thousands of people in New Jersey, including children,” Sherill responded.

“And I never broke the law,” Ciattarelli shot back.

“Your campaign right now is under federal investigation for how you illegally got access to my records,” said Sherrill.

Police are investigating after mail was stolen from half a dozen United States Postal Service mailboxes in Fort Lee, New Jersey, over the weekend.

It comes amid recent reports of mail security issues across the Tri-State Area.

Fort Lee Police issue warning for residents who used blue mailboxes

Fort Lee Police say Sunday morning, a resident contacted the authorities after noticing a blue USPS mailbox was unsecured, open and empty.

“They did a little canvassing of some other mailboxes in the area, in the borough, and realized there was probably about a half dozen other mailboxes in the same situation, where the door was open and all the mail was removed,” Fort Lee Police Chief Matthew Hintze said.

Hintze said Fort Lee Police launched a joint investigation with USPS inspectors and discovered six mailboxes were targeted across Fort Lee. The boxes were located at:

• 1580 Lemoine Ave.
• 231 Main St.
• 309 Main St.
• 1213 Anderson Ave.
• 1475 Bergen Blvd.
• Abbott Boulevard/Columbia Avenue

Investigators believe the master key or locks on the mailboxes were somehow compromised. They also believe the thief or thieves were likely looking for personal information to commit fraud.

Police say anyone who dropped mail containing sensitive information in any of the impacted mailboxes after 3 p.m. on Sept. 20 should be on the lookout for suspicious activity.

“Please monitor all your financial accounts, check your bank accounts. If you really want to do due diligence, conduct a credit report, maybe a credit freeze,” Hintze said. “If you see anything suspicious or fraudulent, please come in to the Fort Lee Police Department and make that report.”

The investigation is ongoing.  

Mail-related crime across New York and New Jersey

This is just the latest mail-related crime reported in the Tri-State Area in recent weeks.

Earlier this month, two Long Island business owners said they lost nearly $3,000 after someone apparently fished checks they had mailed out of a mailbox, washed off the ink, and rewrote the checks.

“I went to the post office to file a complaint, and they said this is an everyday occurrence. It’s constantly happening,” business owner Rich Miller said at the time.

They were later reimbursed, but they weren’t the only recent victims of check washing. Another Long Island resident said she lost $20,000 after three checks she wrote were stolen and cashed by a thief.

“What the Postal Police had showed me is that they literally took Wite-Out and they erased the payable to,” Jean Gioglio-Goehring said.

Experts advise paying bills electronically to avoid falling victim to crimes like these.

Police say another way to keep your mail safe is to bring it inside the post office instead of just dropping it one of the blue mailboxes, even if the boxes are right outside the building.

“The only way you’re going to be safe is to take the mail actually into the post office during business hours and then you know your mail is safe. Because if you deposit it in a mailbox after hours, then you’re certainly at risk,” Tenafly resident Neil Taylor said.