Republican Robert Colletti, who was briefly the front runner in a high profile State Senate race three years ago, has settled a defamation lawsuit he filed against Elmwood Park Democrats for statements they made during the 2006 Borough Council campaign. Colletti objected to a letter written by Democrat Jack McLaughlin that cassued Colletti of engaging in criminal and unethical behavior. The settlement includes an undisclosed payment to the ex-GOP Councilman.
In 2007, Colletti was the Republican State Senate candidate in District 38. After The Record published a story that State Sen. Joseph Coniglio (D-Paramus) was the target of a federal criminal probe, Democratic polls showed Colletti ahead. That pushed then-Bergen County Democratic Chairman Joseph Ferriero to push Coniglio to drop his re-election bid. Colletti lost to the new Democratic candidate, Robert Gordon (D-Fair Lawn).
