MANCHESTER TOWNSHIP, NJ – A Newspaper mailed to Manchester residents caused a bit of confusion in the community ahead of the Tuesday run-off election between Robert Arace and Robert Hudak for mayor.
The paper, named The Manchester Messenger, was not published by any local news agencies. Instead, it was a campaign mailer published by the Arace campaign to appear as a legitimate newspaper. You won’t be seeing another edition of the Manchester Messenger.
Hudak had a suggestion for residents who received the paper. Throw it out.
“This week, I learned a lot about myself,” Mayor Hudak said about the fake newspaper published by his opponent in an effort to deceive voters. “There’s a lot of lies, innuendo, and fake news in this supposed newspaper. When you get fake news like this, throw it out.”
Hudak said the Heritage Minerals site development criticized and blamed on him in Arace’s fake newspaper happened in 2003, long before Hudak was on the township council and when Arace himself was just a 4th grader in elementary school.
After fact-checking the claim, it was learned that the agreement for the Heritage Minerals site was made under the direction of elected officials then controlled by Arace’s key benefactor, Ocean County GOP Chairman George Gilmore, who has deep ties to local developers.
Manchester Mayor Robert Hudak from Rise Up Ocean County on Vimeo.
According to Arace’s state election law enforcement filing, the mailer was created by a North Carolina-based political consulting firm operated by former Donald J. Trump campaign manager Bill Stepien. The newspaper was published by TREC, a Toms River printing company that published campaign literature for local candidates.
Stepien is also a close ally of former Governor Chris Christie. Arace has based his campaign on being a disciple of former President Donald J. Trump and is now asking township Democrats to support him in Tuesday’s election.
According to the state report, Arace has paid TREC approximately $4,000. Stepien’s firm has received $7,592.28 so far in the run-off election.
Fake newspapers published during Ocean County elections have become commonplace in Brick and Toms River. This is the first time the fake newspaper strategy was used in Manchester Township. They are used to misinform and to intentionally mislead residents, particularly those in senior communities.
Arace is aligned with former GOP Chairman George Gilmore, who is attempted a local comeback after being pardoned by former President Trump after being convicted for failing to pay payroll taxes and filing a false loan application. Gilmore is closely tied with developers in Ocean County.
In July, Gilmore defeated Ocean County Sheriff Michael Mastronardy to regain his title as the Ocean County GOP Chairman.
The Manchester Messenger, which was never published prior to this week’s election focused on articles that painted incumbent Mayor Robert Hudak in a negative light, many with inconsistencies and alternate facts.
Arace’s campaign is being funded by North Jersey lobbying law firm King, Moench and Collins, LLP of Morris Plains and Engineering firm Remmington and Vernick, a major pay-to-play firm at the Jersey Shore.