---

A campaign flyer and newspaper advertisement attacking Board of Education incumbent Giuseppe “Joe” Grillo on taxes has been disavowed by one of his opponents who said he did not authorize the flyer and advertisement and did not know who wrote it. 

“We did not know of it and did not approve of it,” said Iman-Mtume Hall [right], who is running on a slate with Anthony Remy. “As far as me and Remy we are not running on anybody’s weaknesses and shortcomings. We’re not running that type of campaign.”

The flyer and subsequent newspaper advertisement also urged voters to support Hall and Remy. Remy was unable to be reached for comment.

The flyer was originally placed by hand in mailboxes of Asbury Park voters a week ago, and did not include the required statement of who paid for it. Grillo called the flyer “illegal” for that reason, as well as because he said it’s illegal to put campaign material on or in mailboxes. 

“It’s sad and disappointing to see the usual dirty politics,” said Grillo [left], who is running with Carritta Cook and Wendi Glassman for the three seats up for grabs. “Our campaign remains positive and laser-focused on the issues that are important to Asbury Park families and residents.” 

An image of the flyer was subsequently placed as an advertisement by the Asbury-based Citizens for Change PAC in the October 8 issue of the triCityNews. A required disclosure stating that Citizens for Change paid for the ad was included. Hall said he was also unaware that the flyer was being used as a newspaper advertisement until someone showed the ad to him a few days ago.

Citizens for Change Treasurer Darryl Hammary said that he obtained the image of the flyer off the internet where it was circulating on social media and chose to use it as an advertisement because he thought it an effective criticism of Grillo’s record. He said he did not know who wrote it and was not involved with the initial distribution of the flyer into mailboxes. 

Hammary acknowledged that Hall and Remy did not authorize the placement of the newspaper advertisement because they are not part of the Citizens for Change PAC, and he can operate the PAC independently of the candidates.

“They’re not a member or a part of the PAC. They have no say,” he said. “I can come back the next day and say I support another candidate. I can support a write-in candidate and say this is who I choose.”

Hammary said the PAC paid for the anti-Grillo newspaper advertisement “because Joe Grillo has a track record and I want to identify and expose his track record. What’s the controversy?”

But Grillo disputed the accuracy of the flyer and the ad, particularly because he said the state is cutting the school district’s state aid — and the state is thus responsible for any tax increases, not the board. 

“I can take criticism if it’s accurate criticism,” said Grillo. “But for someone to insult hardworking members of the school board like Angela Ahbez-Anderson and Sheila Etienne with inaccurate information is insulting to the voters.” 

Meanwhile, Hammary said his PAC will continue to operate independently of Hall and Remy in the Board of Education race. 

“They run their own campaign,” Hammary said of Hall and Remy. “And from what I see they run a clean, straight to-the-point campaign.”

“Carritta Cook, Wendi Glassman and I have a plan for our schools, they don’t,“ said Grillo. “It’s that simple.”

——————————————————————————————-

Follow the Asbury Park Sun on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.

The Asbury Park Sun is affiliated with the triCityNews newspaper.

---