Former Assembly member and alleged Republican governor Jack Ciattarelli faces questions about his affiliation with a member of the Oath Keepers, a group identified by the state’s Department of Homeland Security as a local terrorist organization.
Ed Durfee, a member of the Oath Keepers, is running for assembly on the Bergen County Republican Party line in the June primary in the 37th Legislative District. This aligns him with Ciattarelli and Democrats have called on Ciattarelli to denounce him. On this week’s Chat Box, Ciattarelli put some distance between himself and Durfee but didn’t exactly disown him.
“I don’t know the number of Ed’s votes, I don’t know his background,” he told moderator David Cruz.
Ciattarelli wondered why the question was asked. Recalling the status of Oath Keepers among law enforcement, Ciattarelli replied, “If someone is advocating terrorism, he shouldn’t be on the ballot, so I don’t know any personal opinions, beliefs or beliefs. his past conduct of Ed, but hopefully that wasn’t the case, that he was advocating terrorism. If it is, it shouldn’t be on the ballot.
The former assembly member also said he would fire Corrections Commissioner Marcus Hicks for his handling of sexual abuse and other charges against correctional officers at Edna Mahan Prison, and expressed his general support for President Biden’s infrastructure plan.
Watch Chat Box live at 6:30 p.m. on the NJ Spotlight News YouTube Channel, and Saturdays at 6:30 p.m. and Sundays at 10:30 a.m. on NJ PBS.
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