Less than 24 hours after a political debate resembled something more akin to the Jerry Springer Show than to a battle of verbal skills, derogatory graffiti was found chalked on the sidewalk in front of both State Senator Marty Golden‘s (R) district and campaign offices.
Golden is locked in an increasing ugly election battle with Democrat Andrew Gounardes for the 22nd Senate District seat covering Bay Ridge, Dyker Heights, Bensonhurst, Marine Park, Gerritsen Beach, Gravesend and parts of Sheepshead Bay, Borough Park and Midwood.
The graffiti reading ‘Marty Golden Defends Nazis’ was put in chalk on the sidewalk in front of both Golden’s 7408 Fifth Avenue District Office and his 7615 Third Avenue campaign office. The sidewalk vandalism alluded to Golden’s refusal to fire Manhattanite Ian Reilly, a campaign staffer, and who as chair of the Metropolitan Republican Club invited and allowed to speak alt-right leader Gavin McInnes before the club on Oct. 12.
The invitation brought out both the ultra-left antifa movement, who vandalized the club’s headquarters, and the white nationalist group, the Proud Boys. It also led to a street brawl in which the Proud Boys, were caught on video gang assaulting several members of the alt-left organization.
Gounardes and supporters have called on Golden to fire Reilly, which Golden has steadfastly refused to do. During last night’s debate, Gounardes called Reilly a white supremacist and intimated that Golden was a white supremacist.
In a heated exchange at the debate Golden said, “I denounce white supremacy. and Ian is not a white supremacist.
Golden chief of staff Jerry Kassar said the graffiti was discovered by workers early this morning and that police were called and the graffiti was quickly removed. The police likely have the person that chalked up the sidewalk on video, and once identified that person will likely be charged with harassment, said Kassar.
Kassar said Gounardes has been fabricating a narrative that Reilly is a white supremacist, which isn’t true.
“They [the Gounardes camp] is slandering this kid,” said Kassar. “And Marty won’t take that garbage. We’re not looking for a guy to have his life destroyed for something that isn’t true.”
Gounardes’ campaign spokesperson Dara Adams said the campaign condemns the graffiti, but in part, blamed Golden’s views for the incident.
“We absolutely condemn the graffiti and we condemn any hateful incidents, but I think if Marty Golden would fire Ian Reilly and condemn the Proud Boys he wouldn’t be targeted, but that still doesn’t excuse the people who did that [the graffiti],” Adams said.
