Trenton City Hall (File photo)

In what is a concerted effort to not accept defeat and fade away quietly, disgraced ex-Trenton city councilwoman Robin Vaughn is among the plaintiffs according to a copy of a new lawsuit filed earlier this week in Trenton.

The lawsuit alleges two current council members, Yazminelly Gonzalez and Jasi Edwards needed to meet specific requirements to be legally seated on the current Council. Among other things, Vaughn and her co-plaintiffs, Evangeline Ugorji, and Mary Horne, contend Gonzalez did not fulfill residency requirements to serve on the Council, and Edwards failed to disclose a previous criminal conviction, each offense would call into question their recent appointment to the Council, according to court documents. Additionally, the suit alleges Trenton City Clerk Brandon Garcia and Mercer County Clerk Paula Sollami-Covello failed to report or acknowledge the alleged deficiencies among the two candidates.

Vaughn’s two cohorts, Ugorji and Horne, have indirect links to the city council. Ugorji is a Trenton Parking Authority Commissioner. In her bid to become the representative of the South Ward, she lost to Jenna Figueroa Kettenberg. Ugoriji finished dead last and got in trouble with election officials for submitting ballots from people buried at the Riverview Cemetery in Trenton. And Mary Horne tripped and fell flat in her attempt to win the West Ward. She lost to Teska Frisby, who was recently voted in as president of the Council. A runoff election was held in January, and the results were finalized and certified.

As someone who has followed and reported on business, crime, and politics in Trenton for more than 20 years—stretching back to the days of Mayor Doug Palmer, this recent lawsuit is an attack on a newly formed and desperately needed proactive City Council. It is indeed an attempted throwback to the gross incompetence and horror displayed by some members of the previous Council, headed by Kathy McBride and co-anchored by Vaughn. The depth of incompetence displayed by the last Council included ineptitude and endless lawsuits, some of which were found to be frivolous, without merit, and dismissed. The level of the horror of said Council were notable scandals, including some public shouting matches with expletive-laced tirades that would make even the most street-savvy ‘hood rat on Perry St. or Camden St., in Trenton smirk in disgust.

Also, officials raised, investigated and resolved the issue of Yazminelly Gonzalez’s residency several months ago. So, why is it being raised again in a lawsuit? My guess is that this recent legal punt by “Radioactive Robin” will bounce off to the sidelines and go nowhere. And the new Council will continue to bring Trenton back from the murky depths and pits of legislative discourse and despair it has been mired in for the past four years.

I'm an award winning journalist based in Edison, NJ. My work has been featured in dozens of publications including, Black Enterprise magazine; ESSENCE magazine and Real Health magazine. I am also a featured...

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1 Comment

  1. The only thing I would say is a comment Robin go on with your life leave Trenton to Trentonian Take Your Bow and your exit because you are a sore loser. You and Kathy McBride y’all kept more chaos going then a little bit we do not need that as a professional counsel and politicians that are overseeing and overlooking our city we want better we want to move forward. And if they aren’t doing their job then the next 4 years they should be removed but let’s give them a shot first anything got to be better than y’all. And I’m happy married running for his second term

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