Nicholas Moccio demanded the removal of Jackson officials from office, calling them fascists and accused them of supporting genocide before a confrontation with Council President Mordechai Burnstein prompted three police officers to intervene.

JACKSON, NJ — The fight for Jackson got ugly Tuesday night.

Three Jackson Township police officers intervened during a heated Township Council meeting Tuesday night, October 13, after resident Nicholas Moccio accused Mayor Jennifer Kuhn and Republican council officials of being “fascists” and approached the governing body during a confrontation.

“Mayor Burnstein, Jennifer Kuhn and any other fascist in this town need to be removed from office and brought up on any charges that can be confirmed after a third party investigation,” Moccio said.

The exchange escalated after Council President Mordechai Burnstein, who is Orthodox Jewish, said he was offended by Moccio’s accusations.

Moccio rose from his seat and approached the council as officials repeatedly attempted to restore order. Members of the audience began shouting at both council members and responding officers.

The situation was eventually defused with assistance from Councilman Christopher Pollak, who had previously expressed support for Moccio’s efforts to locate a missing Jackson resident.

The topic of contention was the disappearance of Mortimer Wartman, who vanished nearly one year ago. Despite searches by the Jackson Police Department and ongoing efforts, police have not located Wartman. It is unknown at this time whether he is deceased, being held somewhere, or if he voluntarily fled and is in hiding.

A New Jersey judge released one potential suspect, Adam Zalouk. The township council had no role in the release of Zalouk.

Resident calls for officials to be removed from office

During public comments, Moccio criticized the township’s Republican leadership and demanded an independent investigation of elected officials.

Burnstein is the council president, while Kuhn serves as mayor.

Moccio also accused Republican council officials of supporting genocide. The accusation was made during his public remarks, and no substantiating evidence was described in the meeting account.

Burnstein responded that he found the accusations offensive, setting off the confrontation that brought police officers forward.

No arrest or criminal charge was reported in connection with the disturbance.

Missing Jackson resident becomes focus of dispute

The confrontation unfolded amid criticism of township officials over efforts to locate missing resident Mortimer Wartman.

Moccio and Pollak questioned whether enough was being done to help find the missing man.

Pollak, who has publicly disagreed with other council members on several issues, expressed support for the resident’s efforts to obtain answers about his friend’s disappearance.

“People just don’t go missing,” Pollak said during the meeting.

In New Jersey, the jurisdiction for missing persons lies with law enforcement. The Jackson Police Department has also escalated the case to the New Jersey State Police and the Ocean County Prosecutor’s Office.

The missing-person case has been raised at previous council meetings. Township records from January document a resident questioning the police response to Wartman’s disappearance.

Police restore order during tense public exchange

As Moccio approached the governing body, three Jackson police officers intervened while audience members shouted from their seats.

Police officers escorted the man away from the council bench.

The episode highlighted tensions between residents demanding answers from township officials

Wortman is a 22-year-old Rutgers University senior from Jackson Township, New Jersey, who has been missing since the evening of November 21, 2025. He was last seen getting into a vehicle with Adam Zalouk.

Zalouk was the last person seen with Wortman who faced prior charges for threatening Wortman with a knife and damaging his car. In March 2026, Zalouk pleaded guilty to terroristic threats and was entered into a pretrial intervention program, allowing him to avoid jail time because Wortman was missing and unavailable to testify