This is insane.
The Mayor of Jersey City threatened a city employee and demanded the employee publicly disavow his own sister, who is running for office 1,000 miles away, because she held views the mayor disagreed with.
The mayor fired the employee when he didn’t comply.
The Mayor of Jersey City threatened a city employee and demanded the employee publicly disavow his own sister, who is running for office 1,000 miles away, because she held views the mayor disagreed with.
The mayor fired the employee when he didn’t comply.
https://twitter.com/stevenfulop/status/1820630575100682410
Before this incident, Jonathan Gomez-Noriega was an aide to Democrat Jersey City Mayor Steven Fulop. He worked on the city’s LGBTQ Task Force.
Based on his social media, Gomez-Noreiga appears to be your run-of-the-mill Democrat. His crime was that his sister had opposite views.
Based on his social media, Gomez-Noreiga appears to be your run-of-the-mill Democrat. His crime was that his sister had opposite views.
His sister, Valentina Gomez, calls herself a MAGA/America First Republican. She’s running Secretary of State in Missouri. You’ve might have seen her posts on X.
Valentina and her brother couldn’t be more politically different.
Valentina and her brother couldn’t be more politically different.
Valentina has built a following on X for her TikTok style videos and commentary on the news.
If you’ve seen her content before, you’ll know what I’m talking about.
I’ll refrain from characterizing her content here because her content and my opinion of it (along with everyone else’s) is irrelevant for the purposes of this story.
The point is: some people may agree with her views. Others may find them abhorrent or offensive. Some may just find it outrageous for the sake of generating outrage.
If you’ve seen her content before, you’ll know what I’m talking about.
I’ll refrain from characterizing her content here because her content and my opinion of it (along with everyone else’s) is irrelevant for the purposes of this story.
The point is: some people may agree with her views. Others may find them abhorrent or offensive. Some may just find it outrageous for the sake of generating outrage.
But again, Valentina’s views don’t matter.
In a free society, the only person’s views anyone is accountable and responsible for is their own.
In Democrat Mayor Steven Fulop’s office, employees must atone and answer for the beliefs of their own family members.
In a free society, the only person’s views anyone is accountable and responsible for is their own.
In Democrat Mayor Steven Fulop’s office, employees must atone and answer for the beliefs of their own family members.
A few days ago, just before the primary election in Missouri, the Jersey City Times reported that Gomez had made $1,250 in campaign donations to his sister. The paper also reported that Gomez had dared to take photos with his sister.
“Gomez’s Instagram page includes multiple photos of him with both his sister and Mayor Fulop.”
The horror.
“Gomez’s Instagram page includes multiple photos of him with both his sister and Mayor Fulop.”
The horror.
At the time of publication, Jonathan Gomez responded by telling the outlet “While I support all of my family members, including my sister Valentina, in their personal endeavors, we often have different views. My life story and trajectory reflect my commitment to inclusivity, respect, and equality for all individuals. I do not share the views expressed in her statement.”
But a few days later, calls for Jonathan’s resignation began to emerge.
Frank Gilmore, a Councilman in Jersey City Ward F, called for Gomez to be removed from his post. Staffers at the Hudson Pride Center also apparently began resigning in protest.
The executive director at the center said she was resigning the Jersey City task force until Gomez condemned “the hateful and divisive anti-LGBTQ rhetoric espoused by his sister.”
Frank Gilmore, a Councilman in Jersey City Ward F, called for Gomez to be removed from his post. Staffers at the Hudson Pride Center also apparently began resigning in protest.
The executive director at the center said she was resigning the Jersey City task force until Gomez condemned “the hateful and divisive anti-LGBTQ rhetoric espoused by his sister.”
A petition at the Action Network also called for the immediate removal of Jonathan Gomez.
The petition specifically accused Gomez of demonstrating “behavior that undermines the core values of inclusivity, respect, and support that our community holds dear.”
The petition specifically accused Gomez of demonstrating “behavior that undermines the core values of inclusivity, respect, and support that our community holds dear.”
Earlier today, before it was revealed that he was forced and fired from his job, Gomez announced his “resignation” on X.
Valentina Gomez quickly responded with a video of her own on X.
In it, she plays what appears to be an audio recording of the mayor (who I should’ve mentioned is currently running to be Governor of NJ) threatening Gomez saying, “and Jon if you think that is boldness, I’m going to fire you. I’m going to look in five minutes—if it’s not clear where you stand, then you’re not with me. You’re with her. And you can’t work with me. Period.”
I obviously can’t confirm if this recording is real.
In it, she plays what appears to be an audio recording of the mayor (who I should’ve mentioned is currently running to be Governor of NJ) threatening Gomez saying, “and Jon if you think that is boldness, I’m going to fire you. I’m going to look in five minutes—if it’s not clear where you stand, then you’re not with me. You’re with her. And you can’t work with me. Period.”
I obviously can’t confirm if this recording is real.
What’s amazing is, we don’t have to guess if Fulop actually fired Gomez. Fulop all but admitted doing so in a post responding to Valentina’s video on X.
He wrote that Jonathan was an “at-will employee.”
Fulop also posted screenshots of his texts with Jonathan Gomez.
He wrote that Jonathan was an “at-will employee.”
Fulop also posted screenshots of his texts with Jonathan Gomez.
https://twitter.com/StevenFulop/status/1820630575100682410
In one text, Fulop himself wrote a draft version of a statement for Gomez that he appears to indicate would’ve been acceptable. All Gomez had to do was say that “I do not support my sister’s hateful speech or campaign. I love her as my sister but I don’t condone her actions that have become progressively more vile over the last few months.”
Like a true Stalinist, Fulop wanted Gomez to publicly disavow and disassociate himself from his sister.
Like a true Stalinist, Fulop wanted Gomez to publicly disavow and disassociate himself from his sister.
In another text, Mayor Fulop writes to Jonathan that “seeing your family is one thing but this is between us you absolutely can not campaign for her or support her publicly as those values are just counter to who we stand for.”
In the end, Mayor Fulop said in a post on X that firing Jonathan Gomez shows “how strongly I feel about the LGBTQ community…ppl know ill fight for them when people are watching and the same when they can’t see what I’m doing.”
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