TRENTON — A complaint alleging that state Sen. Nicholas Sacco, who is also the mayor of North Bergen, sexually harassed and intimidated a former township employee was dismissed by the Joint Legislative Committee on Ethical Standards on Tuesday.

The commission, based on the recommendation of its counsel, voted 6-0 not to hear the case because so much time had lapsed between the alleged incidents and when the former employee filed the complaint.

“Fundamental fairness requires that complaints of this kind come forward within … a two-year period,” committee member John Harper said.

Lydia Coleman, who worked in the North Bergen Recreation Department, filed the complaint in 2011, claiming the harassment began after she was hired in 1995 and continued for a number of years. She resigned in 2005.

Sacco was not at the meeting, but his attorney, Thomas Kobin, said the allegations were fabricated.

“It’s dressed up as an employment complaint, but it’s … a political stunt,” Kobin said.

The complaint accused Sacco of making “profane sexual gestures,” inappropriate touching and leaving threatening phone messages. Coleman also submitted audio recordings of a man, whom she identified as Sacco, leaving four separate voicemails ordering her to return his calls and calling her a “retard” and a “pig.”

Coleman alleged the messages were left in February 2003 after she rebuffed Sacco’s advances at a local restaurant. She also claimed that Sacco had her escort him to various political and social functions and said she felt compelled to attend because of his position as mayor.

Coleman’s attorney, Mario Blanch, represents the North Bergen Concerned Citizens Group, a grassroots organization that has unsuccessfully run candidates in township elections. It’s been widely speculated that the attorney has political aspirations, though Blanch reiterated on Tuesday that he has no plans to run for state Senate or mayor at this time.

Blanch said while he was disappointed, he understood the committee members’ ruling because the complaint was not considered filed in a timely manner.

 “It seemed to me that had they had the opportunity to move forward, I think this committee would have moved forward with the ethics complaint,” Blanch said.

Asked by committee members during the hearing why she waited so long to file a complaint, Coleman said she feared retaliation for herself and her family. However, in the years since the alleged incidents, she said, family members passed away or moved out of North Bergen.

Immediately after the dismissal, Coleman said outside the committee room she wishes she had spoken up sooner but was happy to have gotten her story out.

 “This had nothing to do with money,” she said. “He [Sacco] should have answered to his actions.”

Coleman said she did not believe she could appeal her case further.

Paul Swibinski, a spokesman for the mayor, questioned Coleman’s motives, however, noting that she’s been hit with dozens of legal judgments.

Coleman filed for bankruptcy in 2005 following a car accident in Florida, which left her out of work and unable to pay her medical bills. The bankruptcy was discharged, according to public records.

She was also sued by a credit card company in 2011 for failing to make payments. Coleman has said she is making credit card payments, but acknowledged late that year that she was still on disability and struggling financially.

Swibinski also noted, as he has in the past, that the audio tape was “doctored” and part of a political scheme against Sacco.

 “Every election, … they play the tape,” Swibinski said. “They bring it before the public. And guess what happens? Sen. Sacco gets re-elected with over 70 percent of the votes over and over again.

 “So we’re going to hear this again this year at election time,” he continued. “We’ll hear it in two years when Sen. Sacco runs again.”

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