Murphy for Governor, NJDSC Call on Ciattarelli to Condemn Far-Right Extremists that Physically Harassed and Intimidated Staff

M4G Campaign Manager, NJDSC Executive Director Release Joint Statement Denouncing Physical Intimidation of Women

NEWARK, NJ — Earlier today, two Latina staff members associated with the Murphy for Governor campaign and the New Jersey Democratic State Committee’s Forward 2021 coordinated campaign were lured into a parking garage, ambushed, and harassed by a team of six far-right extremists, including disinformation specialist James O’Keefe.

After receiving a phone call from O’Keefe operatives who said that one of the women’s cars had been hit while parked in the campaign headquarters’ garage, the staffers were accosted by a group of men. The O’Keefe operatives proceeded to swarm the two women, corner them between parked cars, and chase them as they attempted to protect themselves by walking towards building security.

This kind of physical intimidation and blatant harassment of women should never be allowed. Murphy for Governor Campaign Manager Mollie Binotto and NJDSC Executive Director Saily Avelenda are releasing the following joint statement in response:

“It is absolutely outrageous for the safety of our team to be compromised by luring women into a dark parking garage and ambushing them, causing serious distress and trauma at a time when people working on all campaigns should be allowed to do their jobs without fearing for their safety. This is criminal harassment, plain and simple. We are calling on Jack Ciattarelli to immediately disavow the conduct of these far-right extremists and join us in denouncing James O’Keefe.”

Project Veritas is a “prominent right-wing propaganda manufacturer” known for using secret recordings and spliced video to “entrap” organizations and political campaigns, creating “elite disinformation campaign[s].” Just this month, a federal judge ruled O’Keefe’s schemes could be described as “political spying.”