Council President Len Resto and the Morris County Republican Party Must Publicly Condemn Peter Hoffman’s Anti-Muslim Comments

Last week, Chatham Borough Councilman Peter Hoffman’s anti- Muslim and anti-immigrant comments came to light. In one of his many missives, Hoffman mused, “a hyphenated American is not an American at all.” In another online post, Hoffman stated, “Islam is a sick, backward faith practiced by low life scum… Islam will always be the religion of beasts in my mind.” Hoffman also shared several articles from sites like Infowars, including one that described the Sandy Hook massacre as a “hoax”. Upon the discovery of these heinous comments, Hoffman deleted his Twitter account.

Rather than immediately apologize, Hoffman responded with a letter to the editor, in which he stated, “The fact that I am being attacked for intellectual opinion pieces that I find interesting or informative is disgusting.” He described the criticism against his well-documented comments as a “smear campaign.”

In an open Facebook letter to Councilman Hoffman, Chatham resident Brandon Melvin stated, “Peter Hoffman, not even in my most craven and pathetic moments can I imagine actually trying to play the victim card in a scenario like this.”

Hoffman has since issued a half-hearted “apology” after it became apparent that the voters of Chatham are rightfully holding him to account for his bigoted views.

“Chatham Borough residents deserve better than a Councilman who sees our Muslim neighbors as ‘scum’ and ‘beasts,’” stated Morris County Democratic Chairman Chip Robinson.

Bigotry should not be a red or blue issue.  Comments like those made by Councilman Peter Hoffman have no place in our public life and stain anyone who chooses to associate with him. We are calling on his running mate, Council President Len Resto to stop making excuses and condemn Hoffman’s anti-Muslim and anti-immigrant comments. Resto must disassociate himself from the bigotry and xenophobia Hoffman has spread in Chatham.

Furthermore, we believe the New Jersey state Republican Committee, the Morris County Republican Committee, and the Chatham Borough Republican Committee should join us in affirming the United States’ commitment to diversity and disassociating themselves from a candidate who clearly does not share American values.