Fulop Says Donor To Valentina Gomez 'No Longer Works' For Jersey City

JERSEY CITY, NJ — After an aide to Jersey City Mayor Steven Fulop came under fire on Monday for donating money to his sister — a candidate for Missouri secretary of state who has called homosexuality "disgusting"— he no longer works for the city as of Tuesday, Fulop said in a social media post Monday night.

A series of bizarre twists and turns occurred on Monday after Jersey City Times reported Friday that Jonathan Gomez Noriega, who serves on Jersey Citys' LGBTQ+ Task Force and works as a paid aide to Fulop, has made several donations to his sister Valentina's campaign.

Valentina Gomez has posted a stream of messages on Twitter against homosexuals, calling them "f-----s." She's one of eight candidates in the Republican primary for Missouri secretary of state, with the election looming Tuesday.

On Monday night, Gomez posted on Twitter that Fulop had threatened to fire her brother, and she included a recording.

Fulop responded by sharing text messages between him and Noriega.

Fulop wrote, "Your brother WAS an 'at-will' employee for the city — as of tomorrow he no longer works there because he doesn't reflect the values of the city."

Earlier in the day, Fulop's office had said that Noriega would resign from an LGBTQ+ committee and that Noriega would release a statement later. But at the time, he did not resign from the job as an aide to Fulop.

Later he released a statement, which read, in part, "Different beliefs shouldn't divide us. This issue touches dinner tables across America. ...I may not agree with everything my sister says, but I love her."

Hudson County Executive Craig Guy weighed in on the "LGBTQ Task Force Scandal" with a press release on Monday. He said the city's leadership should have demanded the resignation fro the task force earlier.

Guy wrote, "I stand unequivocally with Hudson County Pride, the LGBTQ+ community of Hudson County, and Councilman Frank Gilmore, who has also been subjected to vile and racist attacks by Mr. Gomez Noriega’s sister. It is shameful that the toxic rhetoric of the Trump era would infiltrate our community. True democratic leadership demands a resolute stand against hatred and unwavering support for those who are targeted. It is time for our communities to demonstrate their commitment to justice and inclusivity by expelling those who perpetuate division and discrimination."

Read earlier reporting on the controversy here.

Jersey City Councilman Frank Gilmore wrote on Twitter on Sunday, "Mayor @StevenFulop you must remove Johnathan from the LGBTQ task force. He can not contribute financially to a candidate who direct hate speech to the LGBTQ community and be expected to properly represent said community."

Another resident wrote: "You need to step down from the LGBTQ task force, my dude. You can love your sister all you want, but you’re publicly supporting her calling us f----s while pretending to protect us."

A group of residents has started a petition asking the Jersey City council and Mayor Fulop, who is running for governor, to remove Gomez.

One observer suggested that Republicans denounce Valentina Gomez, writing, "It’s one thing to hold conservative beliefs; it’s another thing entirely to celebrate the hatred of an entire group of people."