A group of religious leaders who categorize Carteret mayoral candidate Fred Gattuso as unworthy to hold the office because of a series of old social media posts are slanderously trampling on him and his First Amendment rights, with their position orchestrated only for political gain, the Republican said.

At a press conference on Sept. 6 in front of borough hall, the culturally diverse group of local religious and community leaders requested Gattuso withdraw because of what they claimed are dozens of racist, sexist and anti-Semitic comments on various social media platforms made from 2009 to 2013.

Gattuso preemptively posted a response on Sept. 5 on Facebook, defending the posts as rap lyrics protected as a form of free speech.

“Under the United States Constitution’s First Amendment I have the right to Artistic Freedom of Speech and that all the people … that will come out … to ‘denounce’ me, to slander me, to publicly cause harm emotionally and mentally as an assassination against my character and for depressing my First Amendment right to artistic freedom of speech as a rapper for the past 23 years,” Gattuso posted, “and my rap songs are not racist, they are not ‘sexist.’ I have the right for expressing my artistic freedom of speech as it is protected by the Constitution under the First Amendment, just as they have their right to have Freedom of Religion, but they do not have the right to attack, slander and do an assignation of defamation to my character because of my rap songs …"

Gattuso said he is not racist or sexist, saying that he is in a five-year "interracial relationship with a woman I love more than anything.” He added that he works with special needs children, including one who is Muslim: "I love him as my own nephew. I am there for him through operations and each milestone he fights and wins. How dare any of you defame my character and slander me!"

The group's members, he said, have not condemned the work of other rap and hip-hop artists who "have real offensive, sexual, sexist, racial and police hating songs," but are taking this position now simply because of politics: "you slander, denounce and defame my character all because Mayor Dan Reiman and the Borough of Carteret Spokesperson Jon Salonis told you to," Gattuso said in his statement.

"Do you think Dan Reiman’s and Jon Solanis’ attempt at intimidation through a mockery of my First Amendment right to Artistic freedom of speech is going to make me quit? NO, I will keep fighting on for the residents of Carteret, to make the QUALITY of their lives better,” he said.

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A very diverse city

According to census reports, Carteret is the fourth most diverse town in New Jersey with a population that is 34 percent white, 29 percent Hispanic, 22 percent Asian and 13 percent black.

The local religious leaders that condemned Gattuso include the Rev. Talisa Andrews of Carteret Revival Church, the Rev. Dr. Taras Chubenko of St. Demetrius Ukrainian Orthodox, Rabbi Azrial Brown of Yeshiva Gedola, and the Rev. Carlos Torres of Elohim Christian Church. They claim that more than two dozen posts by Gattuso on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram, several of which they describe as direct statements and not rap lyrics, insult the borough’s diverse majority, particularly blacks, Hispanics, Muslims, Sikhs and Jews.

“At a time when we are touting the importance of respect for all, Fred Gattuso insists on making a mockery of us,” Torres said in a statement. “It is unfathomable that someone who insists on degrading minorities thinks that he can run to represent our community, which is one the most diverse communities in the State of New Jersey. Frankly, his comments are just plain racist.”

Rabbi Azrial Brown added in a statement, “Fred Gattuso should be ashamed of himself. I’d like to think that he just failed to adapt to the times, but his comments are so heinous, it is clear that he is filled with hate and vitriol and sees nothing wrong with spewing his offensive comments and anger in public forums.”

Andrews said that Gattuso’s statements disqualify him as a mayoral candidate.

Chubenko agreed.

“The most beautiful thing about Carteret is the community’s acceptance of all communities,” he said. “It’s unfortunate that we find ourselves here today, but to remain silent would be unconscionable.”

Gattuso, who, as a rapper, goes by the name Y G One Two, recently made his Twitter account private, but his Facebook page can be found at facebook.com/YG12.a.k.a.YG12. The three Facebook posts in question are from 2012 and 2013, and they relate to race relations, observations of the reaction to the acquittal of George Zimmerman in the case of the 2012 shooting of Trayvon Martin, and upset with a Filipino boss who dismissed him from a job in 2013.

The community leadership also called into question 15 Twitter posts that can no longer be viewed. At fredgattuso.com, a website created and moderated by the Carteret General Democratic Organization, a document details all the questionable posts in which racially and religiously offensive language repeatedly are used when describing people of African-American, Hispanic, Muslim, Sikh and Jewish heritage.

Democratic Mayor Dan Reiman, who is running for his fifth four-year term, said in a statement that he and Gattuso disagree on more than leadership and direction for the borough.

"We strongly disagree on how people should be perceived and treated. Unfortunately, my opponent continues to express hate for other races, religions, and the degradation and objectification of women," Reiman said. "His remarks are too disgusting for me to even repeat. Those who seek public office should set examples of tolerance and acceptance. Clearly, my opponent’s beliefs run counter to everything that we celebrate here — the melting pot which is Carteret.”

In his Sept. 5 Facebook post, Gattuso described the next day’s press conference as “making a mockery out of the religious community by NOT having a fair and true campaign, just slander and defamation of my character and of those who support me."

By denouncing his rap music, they are denouncing all rap and hip-hop music made by noted artists as well as Carteret youth who value the songs and any other local artists like himself, he argued.

"If they want to run for any governmental office, you are denouncing their future for denouncing my own rap and freedom of artistic speech,” Gattuso said.

Town Hall meeting

Also in reaction to the clergy press conference, as well as the borough Democrats’ website, Gattuso held a town hall meeting that he posted live on his Facebook campaign page on Sept. 6.

He thanked his opponent for the publicity.

“Thank you for proving everything I’ve been saying about you since day one,” Gattuso said, “that you are a bully, you do scare tactics and retaliation against the citizens and the residents in this town. You’ve proved me right on every single that you have done, and I want to thank you for that, Dan and Jon Salonis and to the Democratic Party as well. I feel I owe you guys a beer for the free press you have given me.”

Several members of the community spoke on Gattuso’s behalf and against the current administration, including a resident identified as Jamal Merritt, who claims he was beaten up in 2015 by Mayor Reiman’s brother, Joe, a borough police officer on trial for allegedly beating a teenager. Merritt said he is supporting Gattuso because the administration has not been helpful in his case, among other issues he has, including claims of corruption.

“The mayor has been mayor too long,” Merritt said.

“We want to get justice for people like Jamal,” Gattuso added.

GOP stands by man

In addition to the social media posts, Gattuso's opponents have also pointed to his arrest record, that includes three guilty pleas or decisions that total nearly than $3,000 in fines from 1996 to 2011, according to municipal and state courts.

As the campaign heats up, the Carteret Municipal Republican Committee said it stands by its candidate.

Committee Chairman Tony Gallo, who is running alongside Gattuso as a council candidate, described the accusations of racism as “fake news.” And while he said he didn’t know of Gattuso’s arrest record until after he was nominated, he said he believes in second chances.

“There is no legal requirement to perform any background checks on any candidates,” Gallo said. “Our candidate was vetted by talking to people around town who gave good reports to his character. Everybody who knows Fred Gattuso vouches for his character. I even spoke to the son of previous mayor who went to school with him, and he had nothing but good things to say about him. As far as I know he’s of good character based on speaking with dozens of people about his character. We put his name on the ballot, he got his vote, and we put him on the ballot.

“I don’t see anything wrong with him,” the Republican chairman added. “People in town love him except the other side, but then, it’s their job to spear these things. As for his record, I believe everybody is entitled to a second chance in life.”

Gattuso has discussed his “criminal past” in videos on Facebook and YouTube, stating, “I’m not ashamed or embarrassed by anything I’ve ever done in my past.”

That includes a recent complaint filed by borough Democratic Municipal Chairman Joseph Gasparro with the state Election Law Enforcement Commission (ELEC) regarding what he claimed to be unlawful campaign practices by Gattuso, including using a GoFundMe account to fund his campaign. Other complaints include failure to file disclosure reports with ELEC.

Gattuso denied any wrongdoing, said he checked with state officials before setting up his campaign’s funding mechanisms and received approval. He said the oppositions complaint was retaliatory.

“For me speaking out and exposing corruption and wrong doing the borough is involved with,” he said. "These false charges that were put out on me were not from the ELEC Commission. The ELEC attorney said I have done nothing wrong. I have been in complete contact with the ELEC Commission since the start of this election — since April 2 — about the dos and don'ts of what I can and cannot do in this election as far as raising funds, as far as signs, as far as everything because this is my first time running for office, and I wanted to make sure every single thing was done by the book. We knew certain people would try to bring these things up in this election."

Gattuso said he contacted ELEC before creating the GoFundMe account, and was told on two occasions that it was permitted. While no cryptocurrency was accepted, he also was told it is allowed, he said.

"They gave me the approval on everything," he said.

ELEC Executive Director Jeff Brindle could not confirm nor deny that a complaint was received, but he said that candidates are not permitted to use a GoFundMe account or cryptocurrency, which Gattuso also was accused of using by the borough Democratic chairman.

Regulations require that everything has to be disclosed and reported, but with GoFundMe funds, contributions and expenditures aren’t as transparent, Brindle said.

“You can't track all the financial activity with that kind of a system, which is necessary under the campaign law to do so,” he said.

Gasparro was not available to discuss his complaint, but he previously stated, "The residents of Carteret deserve a swift state investigation into the unethical and illegal campaign practices of Mr. Gattuso and, when this investigation is concluded, I am hopeful that punitive measures will be imposed by the Election Law Enforcement Commission, as integrity and adherence to the legal campaign process are vital to our elections.”

Staff Writer Bob Makin: 732-565-7319; bmakin@gannett.com