Photo: The Borough Of Penns Grove
A New Jersey mayor says she was threatened and called racial slurs by a local law firm employee.
LaDaena Thomas, the mayor of Penns Grove, New Jersey, said the racist remarks and threats were made in a February 2021 voicemail from Lento Law Group's office manager, John Groff, per the Atlanta Black Star.
“I’ll be damned if I’m gonna have some black f***ing n****r b***h, OK, tell somebody that’s it’s my f***ing fault that she don’t know what the f**k she’s doing. But I’m gonna tell you right now … I’m going to destroy her. I’m going to f***ing destroy her,” Groff allegedly said in the recording.
The Lento Law Group previously represented ex-Penns Grove mayor John Washington when he challenged Thomas' decision to run as an independent during her bid for the position. The firm also represented a Republican candidate who tried to reverse her election win.
Groff's alleged voicemail and other alarming calls were left for Richard Rivera, the town's police director. Rivera said he reported the incident to the state Attorney General’s office and the FBI over two years ago, but he didn't get a response from the AG until earlier this month.
The alleged threats came after Thomas cut ties in 2021 with the Lento Law Group, which served as the town's attorney. Groff said she parted ways with the firm due to the alleged criminal past of Groff, who has reportedly been convicted of fraud.
“After I made that decision, I was threatened by John Groff, the firm’s office manager, that if I did not provide the Lento Law Group with a contract that he would, indeed, destroy me,” Thomas said at a news conference earlier this month. “He made this threat to then police practices consultant Richard Rivera, who is now our police director. He also made those comments to others.”
The firm said it's investigating Thomas' claims, though Groff remains an employee.
“The Lento Law Group is currently investigating news reports of a purported voicemail that was made public despite it being confidential and covered by attorney-client privilege,” the firm said in a statement. “Because these news reports concern both the firm’s work with previous and current clients and an employment matter, we cannot provide further public comment at this time.”
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