JACKSON TOWNSHIP, NJ – Jackson Township Mayor Jennifer Kuhn today said she has received multiple death threats and is currently coordinating the effort with News 12 NJ.
News 12 reporter Jim Murdoch is currently investigating claims made by the mayor.
This comes as news broke regarding the mayor’s confrontation with public information and government accountability advocate Steve Wronko.
Kuhn said she felt threatened after Wronko asked her about a denied public records request.
We reached out to Jackson Township officials this morning for comment on the matter and have not received a response. The claim of death threats does not appear to be connected to Wronko’s civil interaction on Sunday with the mayor.
At this time, the Jackson Police Department has not announced any investigations regarding the matter. No public statements have been made.
At this point, it appears the threats were initially reported by the township directly to News 12. The News 12 angle appears to be to link the weekend’s interaction to the alleged death threats.
Credibility has become an issue with the mayor who routinely resorts to calling police officers when confronted by the public.
In one case, when resident Elanor Hannum spoke at a meeting asking Kuhn about sexual relationships with police officers, Kuhn ordered Hannum removed by police from the meeting room.
Hannum is currently suing Kuhn and the township in federal court for civil rights violations arising from the incident.
Last year, when then-candidate Christopher Pollak questioned Kuhn about a political mailer distributed in town hall, Kuhn called the cops and went to social media to say that Pollak was threatening her. Pollak, who recorded the interaction, denied that claim. Police were called to Town Hall by Kuhn.
Earlier this year, Kuhn falsely claimed that Shore News Network “Blackmailed” her after a series of critical articles regarding her use of a township lawyer for a personal business lawsuit. Instead of filing charges on the alleged incident, Kuhn went to Facebook and NJ.com.
The pattern of cop-calling over tough questions and criticism by the public continued on Sunday when Wronko approached the mayor to ask about the OPRA denial.
Kuhn reportedly called police for backup, saying Wronko was threatening her. Wronko videotaped the encounter, which does not match Kuhn’s description of the encounter, in which Wronko pressed Kuhn on the matter. Kuhn did not give a response to handle the matter or to call her office during the week; she simply said that she felt threatened and summoned nearby police officers.
Today Wronko said, “I want to be absolutely clear regarding the developing reports of alleged death threats, threatening communications, and other disturbing material directed at Mayor Jennifer Kuhn or any other Jackson Township official: I unequivocally condemn threats of violence against any public official.”
The threat of violence comes hours before a scheduled public meeting at town hall. In the past, the township has used alleged threats as a reason to cancel and shut down public meetings.
Wronko added:
There is no place for death threats, violence, intimidation, or criminal harassment in political disagreement. None.
I have been outspoken in my criticism of Jackson Township government, Mayor Kuhn, and other elected officials, and I will continue to demand transparency and accountability. But there is an enormous difference between lawful criticism, public-records requests, questioning elected officials, peaceful protest, political opposition, and threatening someone with violence.
I support changing government the constitutional way: at the ballot box, with votes.
If residents believe Mayor Kuhn or any other elected official should no longer hold office, organize, campaign, speak out, request records, attend meetings, expose misconduct if the evidence supports it, and ultimately vote them out of office. Threats of violence have absolutely no place in that process.
At the same time, these are presently being reported as allegations, and serious allegations require serious evidence.
If death threats were made, I expect law enforcement to thoroughly investigate them, identify the individuals responsible, preserve the evidence, and take whatever lawful action the facts support. I also expect the public narrative to be based on documented evidence rather than broad or politically useful accusations.
Show the threatening posts.
Preserve the voicemails.
Document the packages.
Establish when they were received, what was said or sent, and which incidents law enforcement is actually investigating.
If an investigation requires certain evidence to remain confidential temporarily, that is understandable. But once disclosure can occur without compromising the investigation, the facts should be made public.
There should also be no attempt to lump legitimate critics, journalists, activists, political opponents, public-records requesters, or citizens asking difficult questions together with anyone who may actually have made criminal threats.
Those are fundamentally different things.
I can strongly disagree with Mayor Kuhn politically and simultaneously say without hesitation that she, her family, Township employees, Council members, police officers, political candidates, and every other public official are entitled to be free from genuine threats of violence.
Political accountability does not require hatred.
Opposition does not require violence.
Criticism does not require threats.
We defeat politicians we disagree with using facts, public participation, transparency, elections, and votes — not fear and intimidation.
If these reported threats are substantiated, I condemn them wholeheartedly and hope the person or persons responsible are held accountable under the law.
But accountability works both ways.
Condemn actual threats. Investigate them aggressively. Prove the allegations with evidence. Protect public officials from genuine danger. And protect the public’s constitutional right to criticize, question, investigate, record, and politically oppose those same officials.
Those principles can — and must — coexist.
