District 31 Assembly opponents Matthew Kopko and Angela McKnight are making bold accusations about one another in light of a flier being distributed that is referring to Kopko as a “klansman.”Â
By John Heinis/Hudson County View
The black-and-white flier which has been placed on car windshields in Ward F has Kopko’s face superimposed into a Klu Klux Klan uniform and refers to him as Matthew “The Klansman” Kopko.
The flier claims Kopko “wants to close down the urban league” and “abolish Angela Cares program for seniors,” also accusing the Republican candidate of planning to relocate and limit job opportunities for minorities.
“Nick and Angela not only owe me an apology, but the good people of Jersey City for allowing such vicious lies to be put out as a last minute desperate attempt to win a losing battle,” Kopko said in a statement released late this morning, clearly accusing McKnight and her running mate – Nicholas Chiravalloti – of being behind the flier.
McKnight and Chiaravalloti promptly denied having any involvement with the flier and claimed Kopko totally lost it when entering the AngelaCares building on 646 Ocean Ave. in Jersey City this morning.
“The McKnight/Chiaravalloti campaign had nothing to do with the creation or distribution of the reprehensible flyer attacking our opponent,” the team said in a joint statement.
“Despite facing a constant barrage of negative personal attacks, we have run a clean, issues oriented campaign focused on what matters most to the residents of the 31st legislative district.”
“Despite our goodwill and positive campaign message, today, our opponent threatened a number of volunteers of our campaign and also verbally assaulted Mrs. McKnight. This is politics at its lowest form and we will not stand for it.”
The McKnight camp said they are filing a police report against Kopko as a result of the matter, alleging he used the “f” word when he entered the building, leaving seniors and children inside “terrified.”
Dan Rodriguez, Kopko’s campaign manager, said the McKnight Team’s account of the event were grossly exaggerated.
“Here are the facts, Matt asked to see Angela at her office and was escorted by her staff to her. He asked if she had anything to do with the slanderous flyer. She told him to leave and did so,” he explained, noting that a photographer from The Jersey Journal would corroborate the story (which she did).
Hudson County View walked around the surrounding area of the AngelaCares building at about noon today and there was no commotion involving Kopko or McKnight at that time.
To reply to the statement above that Mr Kopko was escorted by Mrs. Angela McKnight’s staff is an out and out lie, he barged in and this action frighten the other staff and the clients, their children and seniors that were being serviced at that time. He said I need to speak to Angela, and before I answered him he was already standing at Angela’s desk screaming about a flyer he held in his hand, he never allowed anyone to look at what he was holding in his hand. So, for him to say that he was escorted in, he is a bear faced liar… I am that staff person, he is not telling the truth when he makes such a statement like he came into the office in a professional manner. Upon being asked to leave the office he became even more irate… Shame on you Mr Kopko…
I CAN”T STAND THAT BROAD! GOOD GOD I HATE HER!