Opposition Candidates Miguel Nunez, Virginia Lugo & Miriam Quiles Campaign Volunteers Object

Press Release 9/15/16

Virginia Lugo

PERTH AMBOY- Tuesday, September 13, 2016, at approximately 8:20 PM, four Perth Amboy Police SUV’s sped with lights and sirens blaring through city streets to stop city council candidate, Virginia Lugo and 5 Nuñez, Lugo & Quiles campaign volunteers from speaking to residents and distributing campaign information on Thomas Street, yesterday evening. Ms. Lugo was told by Sergeant Pascal Medina of the Perth Amboy PD that they must cease campaign canvassing until each volunteer received a permit to distribute fliers. While a visibly shaken Lugo recorded the interaction, the group disbanded without incident, despite Sergeant Medina’s inability to cite the actual law that was being broken.

This is the second time in less than a month, Nunez campaign activities have been disrupted by police, seemingly at the behest of a Wilda Diaz campaign operative. At last month’s Dominican Festival, Mayor Wilda Diaz’s husband, Gregory, accosted a 90-lb. female, college student who was volunteering at a Nunez campaign voter registration table. Again, police were summoned, and after a prolonged interruption, Nunez volunteers were allowed to continue registering voters.

“We were upset by Mr. Diaz’s attempt to intimidate our volunteer. We were going to let the incident go because we want this to be an issue based campaign” said campaign manager, Tony Giordano. “But it’s becoming apparent that the Diaz campaign is more concerned with preventing Miguel Nuñez’s message from getting to the people than standing on their own record.”

As for the latest incident, mayoral candidate, Miguel Nunez and Lugo officially filed a complaint (attached) this morning with the PAPD Office of Professional Standards. According to police campaign volunteers were violating “Common Council” ordinance “Chapter 255 HANDBILLS” originally adopted in 1897. Perth Amboy City Clerk, Elaine Jasko told Nunez campaign officials that in 27 years in her position she has received zero applications for the permit and has never heard of it being enforced for political campaigns.

“This is obviously a case of selective enforcement meant to disrupt our campaign. What is Wilda afraid of? Our campaign has less money, less power than the Diaz or Pabon camps. They know we will win by bringing our message of service and change to every doorstep in Perth Amboy.” said an angered Miguel Nunez.

Nuñez continued, “We have real volunteers, not city employees ‘volunteering’ off duty or on vacation time. We do not have $200,000 donated by law firms, political action committees and special interests, who are currently doing, or want to do business with the city. We will not sell our souls like the other campaigns to win office. Our campaign is self-funded, run by motivated Perth Amboy residents and supporters.” Council candidate Virginia Lugo stated, “Perth Amboy police have a hard and dangerous job. We do not blame them for this selective enforcement. We know where this order came from. When we are in office, we will foster constructive police and community relations, and would never deploy our officers in such a reckless manner with wrong information.”

“Yes, the arrival of police SUVs was intimidating. We have an increasing crime problem in Perth Amboy.. Our officers and citizens should not be endangered speeding through our streets to impede the democratic process. The situation was potentially dangerous.”, continued Lugo According to Nuñez campaign officials, all volunteers were wearing campaign badges, and or t-shirts, carrying clipboards and campaign literature introducing themselves, rejecting PAPD’s contention of a legitimate call to investigate “suspicious activity”. Reached for comment, councilwoman candidate and lifelong Perth Amboy resident, Miriam Quiles, said, “Mayor Diaz and her people have acted like this for 8 long years, with the city council doing nothing to stop this behavior. We will not be blocked from the community. We ARE the community.”

Mayoral nominee Nuñez concluded stating, “The mayor is acting like a dictator in a third world nation. This is the City of Perth Amboy, in the State of New Jersey, in the United States of America. Suppression of the democratic process will not be tolerated. We will stand up for our campaign, and we will stand up for Perth Amboy.”