Belmar Democratic Candidate Claims GOP Rival Broke Campaign Law with Trunk-or-Treat Display at Municipal Building - TAPinto.net
Screenshots from the livestream video of Belmar’s Halloween event held at the municipal building shows GOP candidate Jodi Kinney’s display set up in the courtroom as part of the trunk-or-treat.
BELMAR, NJ — Belmar Democratic Council candidate Gerald Buccafusco is calling out Republican challenger Jodi Kinney for her campaign’s participation in the borough’s Halloween trunk-or-treat event, held on October 29 in the municipal building.
Buccafusco contends that Kinney violated a borough ordinance on prohibited activities under “Conflict of Interest” in the municipal code when she had a display at the indoor children’s event, where candy was being handed out and campaign signs and literature were posted.
“Friday evening, ethical and legal campaign laws were ignored by the Republican candidate for Belmar Council and the current ‘leadership’ of our community,” he said in a Facebook post, referring to the GOP-led governing body.
Buccafusco, who called his opponent’s action “unethical, inappropriate, illegal and lacks common sense,” said he plans on filing a complaint in Belmar Municipal Court tomorrow, November 1, against Mayor Mark Walsifer, Councilman James McCracken, who was present at the event, and Business Administrator Edward Kirschenbaum.
“Candidates running for public office may not use public property to campaign or distribute political campaign material,” Buccafusco's post continued. “It is also a breach of public trust for elected officials to use a publicly funded children’s event to promote their party’s candidate.”
Belmar’s trunk-or-treat event was originally scheduled to be held outside in Belmar Plaza, as part of borough-sponsored Halloween events for children that included a parade along Main Street and a costume contest in Pyanoe Plaza. However, the rainy weather prompted borough officials to move the activities inside the municipal building, attracting dozens of attendees.
In response to an email request for comment, Mayor Walsifer said in a statement, "Dr. Jodi Kinney did sign up. Her son participated in the band. She was there to enjoy watching her son play and to distribute candy. It's very unfortunate that Gerald decided to use a Belmar Recreation event for his negative and angry campaign rhetoric. If Gerald had signed up he would have been afforded the same opportunity to attend."
"This certainly does not rise to the level of violating a borough ordinance. It's just Gerald doing his usual complaining," the statement continued.
Kinney has not responded to an email request for comment.
A livestream video of the event posted on Belmar’s Facebook page shows the trunk-or-treat held in the municipal courtroom of the building, which included Kinney’s display.
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source: https://www.tapinto.net/towns/belmar-slash-lake-como/articles/belmar-democratic-candidate-claims-gop-rival-broke-campaign-law-with-trunk-or-treat-display-at-municipal-building
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