SHOCKING WORLD EXCLUSIVE:
HOBOKEN-- Hypocritical Hoboken Councilman sponsors "ethics reform" ordinance then breaks it at same meeting!
The hypocritical ethics reform-violator, Councilman Mike DeFusco, sponsored an ordinance barring public officials from campaigning on the taxpayers dime. His ordinance would prohibit politicians from squandering taxpayer resources-- such as politicking on Nixle or posting on one's campaign Facebook site during council meetings instead of doing the People's Business.
Yet, this loose-lipped trickster councilman was live-posting on his campaign Facebook website while allegedly conducting city business at the August 7, 2019 meeting of the Hoboken City Council. Tap, tap, tap on his phone. Poof! He posted, the public meeting in progress.
Such hubris. Creating law for other people. DeFusco's shocking breech of his own ethics reform has reverberated all across the Mile Square city.
Shocking. Hypocritical. Dishonest.
See documentary evidence (EXHIBITS A, B, C and D) below which show that First Ward Councilman Mike DeFusco campaigns on taxpayer time, using taxpayer resources, violating his own ethics reform law and breaking his promise to Hoboken residents ("to protect Hoboken taxpayers and prevent the misuse of city resources for political gain."
The documentary evidence shows:
(1) Councilman Mike DeFusco live-posts to Facebook during Hoboken City Council meetings. [see EXHIBIT A]
(2) Councilman Mike DeFusco refuses an OPRA request for names of persons blocked on his official social media accounts responding (by email) that his social media serves a "political" and "not municipal function," and that it is "paid for by his campaign." [see EXHIBIT B]
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| excerpt from Mike DeFusco OPRA response email dated June 6, 2019 |
(3) Councilman Mike DeFusco press release trumpets passage of his "ethics reform" ordinance, boasting that his ethics reform "will bar campaigning on taxpayer time, misuse of City resources for politics. [see EXHIBIT C]
(4) Councilman Mike DeFusco labels his Facebook account with campaign verbiage: "Paid for by Michael DeFusco for Hoboken City Council" [see EXHIBIT D].
(4) Councilman Mike DeFusco's annual council salary is $24,130 plus he takes insurance which costs "$12,633" bringing the total taxpayer bill for Councilman DeFusco's "work" to $36, 763. [Hoboken Business Office]
Council meeting observers note how Councilman DeFusco constantly averts his eyes to his cell phone, tapping away while council business is performed. Wouldn't you like to see the Councilman's cell phone activity during public meetings? Anyone can OPRA them.
Certainly he must respond to an OPRA request for electronic correspondence during a public meeting.
Repeat: First Ward Councilman DeFusco costs Hoboken taxpayers $36, 763.
As the first violater of his own "ethics reform" ordinance, members of the public may file a complaint about Councilman DeFusco's social media activity to his political social media accounts during public meetings. Oh, we haven't gotten to the First Amendment violations for blocking HOboken residents off his social media yet... stay tuned!
COUNCILMAN DEFUSCO vs. DEFUSCO ETHICS REFORM
EXHIBIT A
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| Screenshot of First Ward Councilman Michael DeFusco's live-postingt to his Facebook account, "Councilman Mike DeFusco" during 08/07/2019 Hoboken City Council meeting |
EXHIBIT B
EXHIBIT C
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| June 6, 2019 Councilman Mike DeFusco's response email to an OPRA request for a list of those persons blocked on his official (not personal) social media accounts. |
EXHIBIT C
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| Counciolman DeFusco press release touting his new "ethics reform" ordinance: "Hoboken residents deserve to know that city employees are spending their time doing the peoples’ work, not advancing their own political interests." |
EXHIBIT D
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| Councilman Mike DeFusco" Facebook Account |
Hoboken has had a lot of weasels in politics, but this guy is something special.
ReplyDeleteHe is also a complete moron. Facebook is free. He isn't paying squat to post there.
Deletewell he does use sponsored posts - and those you gotta pay for....
DeleteThen he is a moron and hypocrite posting sponsored posts when he is supposed to be working as a public servant.
DeleteWhy is this city plagued with so many hypocritical morons? Can we please ask candidates to take an IQ test before running for office so we can weed some of these people out before the election? I suspect half the CC has barely above room temperature IQs at best.
Is this enforceable? I'd like to file an ethics complaint but Hoboken doesn't have an ethics board. This council won't censure him cause its packed with weasels.
ReplyDeletefacebook is free?
ReplyDeleteI have a feeling we might be thinking the same thing... (was saving it for another post) that Facebook is "paid for" by Facebook. His site is free, hosted by Facebook on Facebook servers, is subject to Facebook community rules and Facebook legal department compliance, is used at the sole discretion of Facebook and can be deleted by Facebook.
DeleteMoreover, all Facebook-hosted content is presumed to be "paid for" by the user- a business, non-profit, private individual, organization, or politician. DeFusco's campaign may "pay for" content: ads, videos and maintenance, Facebook "pays" for the site. So, the site is social media, not a "paid for" campaign account, and the elected official's arbitrary blocking of users who disagree with him on social media is unconstitutional.
Seems like we are thinking along the same lines. :D
DeleteDefusco sucks $12k off my teat for health insurance when he's got a full time job w/ bennies? What a shim.
ReplyDeleteMichael is special. He does not have to follow the laws, rules and regulations that non-special people are required to follow .
ReplyDeleteThe reaction from his campaign and legal team about DeFusco's Facebook presence looks like a nerve was hit.
It appears that Councilman DeFusco has scrubbed the verbiage "paid for by Michael Defusco for City Council" and "comment policy" verbiage from his Facebook page.
DeleteAnything else?
it could only have the "paid for" verbiage when he is actually sponsoring an add....then it will show up that way. currently he does not have any adds running but i'm sure closer to the election they will start to show up.
DeleteIt's just really surprising (or not) that in this day and age, we have a majority City Council that would try to curb the free speech of residents making public comments. City Council can issue guidelines, sure, but to issue ethics violations for types of speech? What does the city's corporate counsel think of this? And it's just hilarious that it comes from the City Councilperson who cannot utter a single comment without dissing the Mayor or City Hall and is constantly grandstanding no matter the policy issue. He waves a flag for the exercise of his own personal freedoms but then blocks people on facebook or twitter and now wants to shut down free speech? That's not just hypocrisy, that's autocracy. If the residents of Hoboken could issue ethics violations for political snipes and utterances, Mike Defusco would have been a repeat violater of Olympic proportions.
ReplyDelete