Coley endorsed for mayor by Essex County PBA

ORANGE, NJ — Monday, April 4, was a busy day for Orange East Ward Councilman and 2016 mayoral candidate Kerry Coley, who received an endorsement from the Essex County Police Benevolent Association for his mayoral bid in the nonpartisan municipal election Tuesday, May 10.

“The Essex County Police Benevolent Association Local 89 unanimously has endorsed current East Ward Councilman Kerry Coley for mayor,” said Anthony Salters, Coley’s campaign manager and the Orange Municipal Democratic Committee executive director, on Friday, April 1. “The endorsement encompasses all PBA locals in Essex County.”

Essex County PBA Chairman Joseph Savittieri said the organization decided to endorse Coley, a former Orange police officer, because it was the right thing to do, professionally and personally.

“I have known Kerry for 18 years,” said Savittieri on Monday, April 4. “Kerry served as a state delegate for the Orange PBA for several years. He was always well versed in labor and management issues. Kerry has always been a person of integrity who was committed to support and assist anyone in need.”

Coley said he was thankful for the support of his fellow law enforcement professionals from the county, especially in light of recent attack ads by his political opponents. He also said he hopes Orange voters will be able to see through negative campaign tactics being used against him.

“It is an honor to be supported by my peers and work colleagues, who see you daily and know you best,” said Coley on Monday, April 4. “Fighting crime to improve the quality of living for Orange residents has been my life’s work and will be a top priority in my administration, if I am victorious in May.”

Coley retired from the Orange Police Department prior to running for the City Council in 2014. He is now running for mayor as part of the Orange Home Team slate, which includes incumbent Councilwoman At Large Donna Williams and newcomers Christopher Jackson and Vanessa Arroyave. Coley is listed as 3A on the nonpartisan municipal election ballot, along with Williams,13B; Jackson, 14B; and Arroyave, 15B.

Later on Monday, April 4, Coley announced a press conference for Tuesday, April 5, promising to address campaign attack ads that have alleged pornography on his personal Facebook page and the mysterious release of confidential employment records.

Allegations about pornography on Coley’s Facebook page date back July 26, 2015, when he said his Facebook account had been hacked and the image of a sex act had been planted in his newsfeed and timeline. Coley issued a public apology to his online friends for the “offensive messages or materials” posted on his page, producing a letter addressed to Facebook asking the social media company to investigate the hacking of his account.

Coley stated that he believed the incident was a politically motivated one by Mayor Dwayne Warren’s office. Warren denied those allegations at the time and, on Monday, July 27, his administration sent out an official email blast in response to the alleged pornographic post on Coley’s Facebook page.

“On behalf of the families of Orange, we object to the posting of pornographic content by anyone, especially an elected official, that demeans young women,” Warren said, on Monday, July 27, adding “We have not yet received a response to an inquiry to Facebook regarding the possibility of their system being hacked.”

On Monday, Aug. 3, Salters confirmed Coley’s Facebook account had been hacked. “I have known Kerry as a person of integrity and principle, as many in Orange do. His account was hacked. Someone distributed smut in his name. Period.”

“Kerry’s family endured a lot of personal attacks against him when he ran for council in 2014,” Salters added Monday, April 4, saying that similar attacks appear to be happening in the current mayoral election race. Salters said such negative campaigning has the same result as Coley’s first run for elected public office in 2014, which he won.

“Voters are smart and see through the garbage. This is why many of the best and brightest people in Orange refuse to subject themselves or their families to the dirty world of politics,” said Salters on Monday, Aug. 3.

Warren has consistently denied any involvement in attack ads directed at Coley. He said his campaign is working “to focus only on the issues and credentials of the candidates seeking to lead our city” and does “ask that all candidates be held accountable for the content of messages created and distributed by their campaigns or surrogates.”

“Everyone, stop pointing fingers,” said Warren on Monday, April 4. “Deal with whether the facts are true and verifiable.”