Jersey City Mayor Steven Fulop, a Democratic candidate for governor, said that while “bittersweet,” he’s certain that firing Jonathan Gomez Noriega was the right call after backing his sister’s unsuccessful, hate-filled campaign in Missouri.
By John Heinis/Hudson County View
Fulop took questions from the press at the conclusion of a ribbon cutting for a new senior center in the Jersey City Heights, with this reporters asking about the notion that Gomez Noriega’s political activities, including contributions, were protected by free speech.
“I would got a step further John and say that his responsibilities in government, working in our office, where he was an at-will employee – meaning he didn’t have civil service protection, not union protection – was dealing with the diversity issues around Jersey City,” the mayor began.
“Meaning that he could no longer fulfill that job because of a lack of trust, I feel pretty comfortable that we’re in an okay place. I feel certain we’re in an okay place legally, no issues on that.”
Gomez Noriega, an aide to Fulop for about two-and-a-half years, had contributed to the campaign of his sister, Valentina Gomez, a Republican candidate for secretary of state in Missouri who had often used anti-LGBGTQ+ rhetoric in her campaign.
The situation was compounded by the fact that he was one of seven members of the city’s LGBTQ+ Task Force, leading to Hudson County Pride Executive Director Liz Schedl and two of her colleagues to leave before Gomez Noriega agreed to step down, as HCV first reported.
Fulop announced that he had been terminated on X in response to a video posted by Valentina Gomez on Monday evening threatening a “huge lawsuit incoming,” leaking a 15-second audio excerpt of a conversation between her brother and the mayor.
Nonetheless, Fulop evidently feels confident the city does not have any legal liability here, elaborating on the personal nature of the situation when responding to a question from News 12’s Chris Keating.
“Let me just say that she lost yesterday fairly overwhelmingly. Up to a week ago, Jon would articulate that they were under the impression, he in particular – speaking to his sister – that they were gonna win. So there is something redeeming in the fact that that was rejected clearly by the people of Missouri where she was running for office,” noting Valentina Gomez’s sixth place finish in an eight-candidate field.
” … It’s bittersweet for me, my conversations with Jon last week focused on how his sister has made herself unemployable for the rest of her life because nobody would ever hire somebody who says those sort of vile things and things last forever on the internet. And my advice to Jon last week was a separation would probably be the right thing for you to do personally.”
He continued that Gomez Noriega has been to his house around 30 times, is well acquainted with his wife and kids, part of the reason Fulop said he did his best to get him to distance himself from his sister, but he ultimately would not do so.
The mayor further stated that he would never expect anyone to completely turn their back on a family member, but seemed perplexed that Gomez Noriega couldn’t keep their politics separate.
” … One part of the conversation I had with him that you didn’t hear, it was a short excerpt, was where is the line? If your sister was advocating for the extermination of people, right, would you stand by her because she’s your sister?”
Fulop added that Gomez Noriega joined his sister on the campaign trail yesterday so he has not been back to City Hall, yet but the termination process has begun and will continue as planned.
Gomez Noriega could not immediately be reached for comment on Wednesday.