HUDTRUTH EXCLUSIVE: Marco Navarro Fires Back at Ed Donnelly’s “Recipe for Change” — “I Don’t Like Bullies, and I Don’t Fear Them Either”

July 25, 2025 – Hudson County, NJ

Following FMBA President Ed Donnelly’s recent TAPinto article “Recipe for Change”, Assembly candidate, U.S. Marine veteran, and EMT Marco Navarro is calling out what he says is a “fraudulent, backpedaling rewrite of reality,” accusing Donnelly of hypocrisy, political gamesmanship, and intimidation behind closed doors.

In an exclusive response to HUDTruth, we contacted Navarro and he didn’t mince words.

“Let me be absolutely clear, I will never, ever stand in the way of an EMS essential service bill. I’ve been advocating for this long before Ed Donnelly ever decided it was politically convenient,” Navarro said. “But I also believe the public and the membership deserves the truth. Donnelly’s sudden support is nothing but a strategic pivot after he spent months bullying a legislator and working behind the scenes to kill the exact same bill he now pretends to support.”

According to Navarro, the same formula being promoted now by Donnelly and the FMBA was already brought forward earlier this year by a principled legislator who was ready to act, until Donnelly inserted himself, demanding control and ultimately sending what Navarro describes as “a condescending and derogatory letter designed to silence and intimidate.”

“If Ed Donnelly thinks he can rewrite history, he’s dead wrong. The record exists.”

Navarro emphasized that his frustration lies not with the FMBA as an institution, which he vocally supports, but with Donnelly’s leadership, which he characterized as driven by ego and control rather than service and solidarity.

“Let’s be honest, the only fake news here is Ed Donnelly pretending he’s always had EMS in his corner. The only political games being played are by him,” Navarro said. “When it wasn’t his idea, he shut it down. And now that it fits his agenda, he wants to be crowned the savior of EMS. That’s not leadership. That’s cowardice masquerading as courage. He did the same with the 9/11 Bill. Someone else pushed for it, he bullied his way into the bill and excluded the person from having credit for the bill.”

And Navarro says the FMBA membership sees right through it.

“Since my original statement, I’ve received **countless phone calls from FMBA members, both firefighters and EMS, all telling me the same thing: ‘You’re right. Ed’s behavior isn’t right.’ There is a growing wave of members fed up with his shady tactics, backroom deals, and bully-boy politics,” he said.

As a final note, Navarro hinted that his journey with the FMBA is just getting started, and that Donnelly may soon find himself facing real internal accountability.

“I fully support the FMBA. In fact, I’m looking forward to becoming a member myself soon as a firefighter or EMS. And when I do? Let’s just say Ed won’t be the only one eyeing that leadership role. He’s got a real challenger coming, one who won’t bully, who won’t lie, and who will put all of our members first.”

Navarro closed by reaffirming his support for the EMS essential bill, and his refusal to let egos derail progress.

“This fight is bigger than one person’s pride. It’s about EMTs, paramedics, firefighters, real people who deserve recognition and respect. Ed Donnelly wants to make it about himself. I’m here to make it about them.”