NEW JERSEY (Diya TV) — The chairman of the Edison Democratic Organization is being sued right now, but Keith Hahn might be unsure of where he should turn to for legal advice, the plaintiff in the suit, Indian-American attorney Bhavini Shah, is his usual lawyer.
Shah had served the organization as an unpaid attorney, helping to advise the party on legal issues, but when Hahn, a police officer in the town, became the newest chairman of the organization, he told Shah that her services would no longer be required—he further opined that when Shah had missed three of the organization’s meetings, she’d effectively tendered her resignation.
Shah disagrees, claiming that Hahn never told her about the aforementioned meetings, and that only the entire committee, not the chairman, has the right to remove her.
Edison Democratic Organization chairman Keith Hahn, photographed alongside Republican Presidential candidate Donald Trump (Photo courtesy of theamericanmirror.com)
The political landscape of Edison, and the organization, could at first-hand be easily described as dysfunctional in recent years—it has gone through four mayors in the past four consecutive mayoral terms, feeding the unpredictability of leadership in New Jersey’s fifth-largest township. The power struggle inside of the organization has been put on public display as well, with another election for chairman approaching in June, reports have surfaced revealing Shah has been encouraged to unseat Hahn by administration aide Anthony Russomanno.
“Put simply, I don’t think that the Edison Democratic Organization is a one-man operation,” Shah said. “The chairman making a decision and cowboying this entire organization is not fair to the committee-people.”
Hahn disagreed, and said the lawsuit and power grab from Shah are meant simply as a distraction.
“There’s people who can’t get out of their driveways because they haven’t seen a plow truck in three days and these idiots are wasting everyone’s time and energy on this nonsense,” Hahn said. “Unfortunately for the tax-paying public, some people don’t think the rules apply to them. That’s the culture I’m determined to change.”
Shah has received the endorsement and support of Edison Councilwoman Sapana Shah, they share the same surname, but there is no relation.
“Given Bhavini’s solid professional reputation and her high regard in our community, it’s unconscionable for anyone to demand her resignation let alone try to terminate her from a voluntary position,” said Councilwoman Shah, who is also a member of the organization.
Shah believes Hahn clipped her as the organization’s attorney because he want someone “more in line with his thinking,” she said in a letter sent to committee members after receiving the news of her relieved duty. She said that’s not what a lawyer is for. Her lawsuit seeks no monetary damages, only that the court intervene and reinstate her as the organization’s attorney.
