Do Bloomfield Voters Matter?

Justice is blinded, muted and not happening in New Jersey for a well-documented case of "alleged" electioneering

Feb 03, 2025

Other aspects of this event has been covered by me in previous Bloomfield Chronicles editions which are referenced at the end of this edition. The newest development is that I have knowledge of a complaint sent to the NJ AG which has been referred to the Division of Criminal Justice for review. That review is still pending.

In light of the recent struggles of New Jersey candidates as well as the voters:

the county chair appointment of Tammy Murphy, followed by the grass roots and ultimately successful election of Senator Andy Kim, Bob Menendez’s guilty verdict, better ballot initiatives, George Norcross’s indictment, State Assembly folks voting to suppress Open Public Records Act and increasing the number of signature requirements for ballot petitions and currently six candidates for Governor with several of them “party-chair favored,” well this story contains some elements of all of this. So I will say once again: If you understand Bloomfield election history, you will understand the New Jersey system.

If you understand Bloomfield election history, you will understand the New Jersey system in a nutshell.

We have laws to protect our franchise. Our right to vote is sacred. It is the minimum we as citizens should do as our civic duty. The laws to protect voting rights were initially enacted to protect African Americans from Jim Crow voter suppression and violence. Yet we have it here again—a well-documented, and planned “alleged” act of voter intimidation and interference in Bloomfield, New Jersey in June of 2024, and no law enforcement agency will take action even though there are laws on the books to protect us.

Here is a brief recap of the events leading to June 1, 2024

In April, 2024, in Bloomfield, we were at fever pitch as we experienced a contested race between Interim Mayor Ted Gamble and Mayoral Candidate, Councilwoman Jenny Mundell. For some reason, Mundell had the public support of NJ11 Congresswoman Mikie Sherrill. Rep Sherrill enjoyed ongoing participation in Mundell’s campaign which was announced on the candidate’s social media as well as the NJGLOBE.

NJGLOBE article April 08 2024 David Wildstein

https://newjerseyglobe.com/local/133299/

One Candidate is the Preferred One

So, obviously, and for some reason, one candidate is the “preferred” democratic candidate and was backed by the endorsements of the Party Chairs and our Congresswoman. Candidate Mundell had a campaign office on Washington Street, a growing campaign war chest—a chest that would crest at over $100,000 by election day in June. Mundell also had the full support of our former Mayor and current Assemblyman Michael Venezia.

Close-up of the campaign gear t-shirts worn by Mundell supporters.

Assemblyman Venezia is shown wearing the shirt below here.

Electioneering at the early voting site at Watsessing Park

On June 1^st, at an announced rally at the Mundell campaign HQ, after pumping up some egos, Rep Sherrill left the rally, but the rally goers in campaign gear headed down Washington Street, turned on Lackawanna Place, and then approached the polls at Watsessing.

At this point, at the Watsessing early voting location, a flagrant violation of campaign regs occurred with our ASM Michael Venezia engaged with belligerence that he had the 1st amendment right to do so. For at least one hour, Venezia argued with poll workers and his crew insisted upon entering the voting area with their campaign shirts. One rally goer removed her shirt, voted in her bra, and took a selfie.

On the day of the electioneering, the events were posted in social media.

A complaint was filed by GOP Candidate David Tucker to the Joint Legislative Committee on Ethical Standards

Review the audio here:

https://www.njleg.state.nj.us/archived-media/2024/JCES-meeting-list/media-player?committee=JCES&agendaDate=2024-09-17-11:00:00&agendaType=M&av=A

On September 17, 2024 I went to Trenton to witness the hearing regarding the poor behavior at an early voting site in Bloomfield New Jersey, on June 1, 2024 in Watsessing Park. At the hearing, both sides, ASM Venezia’s, and GOP Candidate David Tucker’s written testimony was read by a committee member.

Unfortunately, the committee dismissed this case saying it had “no jurisdiction,” to do anything about their member’s behavior on his time away from “work.”

What did strike me as important, was the committee stated that in the testimony of both parties—Venezia and Tucker—who both stated law enforcement was called, the Bloomfield Police Department as well as the Essex County Sheriff’s office stated to The Committee that they had no written record of the event. That seemed to me to be a hint that there’s more afoot here. (These statements are in the recording audio posted above here.)

More recently, I’ve been made aware of a complaint sent to the New Jersey Attorney general about the event on June 1^st as well as the September 17^th hearing. Basic to this complaint is the idea that not only was there a well-document occurrence of “alleged” voter suppression in Bloomfield on June 1^st, but that the Ethics Committee was obligated to move this evidence to another court.

Here are a few displays of the letter and evidence sent to the New Jersey Attorney General Matthew Platkin on September 23, 2024, within a week after the Assembly hearing.

Threatening or intimidating voters

Electioneering withing 100 feet of the polling place

The Ethics Committee’s legal obligation is to forward the evidence of a crime to the appropriate authorities

As displayed in pictures and testimony, Assemblyman Venezia’s legislative aide, as well as a Bloomfield Councilwoman, Sarah Cruz assisted Venezia in the “alleged” electioneering on June 1, 2024.

The Ethics Committee was obligated to move this evidence to another court.

Put simply, if the Assemblyman had robbed a bank, but the committee deemed it didn’t interfere with his day job, wouldn’t the well-documented event of an alleged bank robbery not be moved to the proper authorities? The Joint Committee on Ethics had a responsibility both professionally and ethically to refer the complaint to law enforcement and not dismiss the complaint without referring an alleged crime. The committee members are licensed attorneys who take an oath to candor and cannot intentionally obstruct law enforcement from crimes. But it seems like they have dropped that ball.

In Summary

This is a well-documented case of electioneering, but

The Essex County Sheriff turned a blind eye

The Bloomfield Police turned a blind eye

The Joint Committee on Ethics essentially covered the offense up by not moving the evidence forward to the appropriate authority

Begging the big New Jersey Party Boss Question

Finally, this begs the question, why was it so important to install Jenny Mundell as Bloomfield Mayor? Her competitor was a well-qualified colleague, previously a Councilman and by June 1, 2024, had 6 months of mayoral experience under his belt.
Why did Assemblyman Venezia insert himself aggressively into this?

Why did Congresswoman Mikie Sherril insert herself into this? Was this Rep Sherrill’s idea alone?

Did Essex County Executive Joseph N. DiVicenzo Jr. know about this?

Did New Jersey Dem Chair LeRoy Jones know about this—that is Essex County Dem Chair LeRoy Jones as well as East Orange Dem Chair LeRoy Jones? Along w/Bloomfield, East Orange is the 2nd bigly important voting block in New Jersey Legislative District 34. The voting power of LD34 is in our two towns and the Dem Chairs have always been able to count on Bloomfield and East Orange to vote for the candidate of their choosing. But that was before we got better ballots last year.

Thricely Dem Chair LeRoy Jones’ son, Amir Jones was elected Sheriff of the Essex County Police in the 2024 primary. Was this a coincidence? Why did the Essex County Sheriff’s office state to the complainant that there was no video cam footage at the Watsessing early voting location, and if there was any, “you wouldn’t get it.” (Refer to the audio recording of the Sept 27th Assembly Hearing.)

Ultimately, if the Joint Committee on Ethics did not want to take “ethical action” on their own member, they were still required to move this evidence to the proper authorities.

So much culpability yet no accountability to anyone or any authority. It’s as if our vote doesn’t matter in Bloomfield, in Essex County, in New Jersey, in 2025. It seems as if the predetermined candidate must be installed at the expense of our dignity and our right to vote.

Dem voters in Essex county are often given no choice in a primary election, and as 2024 showed us, when given a choice, one candidate is elevated while the other is stymied.

Do Bloomfield voters matter? Maybe more so than we know and that’s why we are often not given much choice, taken for granted, and are pawns in the political boss-powered machine.