HILLSIDE – The mayoral campaign of real estate developer Joe Menza today demanded that At-Large Councilman Jerome Jewell explain the reason behind large dollar Democratic Party campaign contributions coming from outside Hillside to elect Jewell mayor.
Menza campaign spokesman John O’Shea cited a $10,400 gift from the Democratic Governors Association (DGA) and $5,000 from something called the USPO on North Broad Street, Elizabeth, in Jewell's Election Law Enforcement Commission (ELEC) report.
“One might ask what possible interest could the National Democratic Governors Association have in little Hillside,” wondered O’Shea. “Once it’s determined who the USPO is, a determination of the reason for their involvement can also be made.”
Contacted for comment, Jewell told PolitickerNJ.com, “I’m not even going to entertain that. They have problems with everything. It’s something every week with them. They get more notoriety when I argue with them.”
Having defeated At-Large Councilwoman Shelley Bates andformer School Board Member Andre Daniels (both of whom support Menza), Jewell and Menza face each other in the June 9th mayoral runoff.
