Essex County Politician Facing Assault Charge After Allegedly Punching Blind Army Vet

Is the controversy surrounding Essex County Democratic Committee Chairman LeRoy Jones’ scuffle with a blind Army veteran going to fade away like a black eye?

Surveillance video shows Jones apparently punching 75-year-old William Graves in the face while the later was working the polls during the East Orange township primary election on June 2.

Graves told ABC that the incident started because he backed a political candidate that Jones didn’t support.

But according to CBS New York, Jones stated that Graves allegedly got “aggressive” with his wife while she was checking credentials at the polling site, and that Graves was the first one to throw a punch.

City Corporation Counsel Khalifah Shabazz has since filed a simple assault charge against Jones.

• See related article: Essex County Politician Punches Blind Army Vet In Face

Since the video leaked to the public, Essex County Democrats have been mum about the incident, reported PolitickerNJ:

“It’s been a week since Essex County Politics leaked that video. And so far, not a peep from local democrats about Jones’ viral encounter. Nothing from Essex Executive Joe DiVincenzo or Senator Cory Booker. Not a peep from NJ State Party Chairman John Curry. The Essex Democratic Committee’s homepage still contains no less than 7 images of the chairman. Jones’ lobbying firm, 1868 Public Affairs, features him prominently on their website as well.”

One of the only reported public comments on the allegations has come from East Orange 5th Ward City Council candidate Kevin Taylor.

“I’m calling on (East Orange Council President Alicia Holman) to ask Leroy Jones to step down as the chairman of the Democratic Party in East Orange,” Taylor stated.

Taylor is also alleging that the Essex County Prosecutor’s Office “took the case out of the East Orange police chief’s hands” because he was not doing the right thing, according to Essex News Daily.

The two have traded barbs before. Jones had some scathing words for Taylor following the latter’s unsuccessful mayoral campaign in 2013.

“He’s delusional… Running for mayor of East Orange has become somewhat of a career for him that hasn’t reaped any benefit to him or anybody else in the city,” Jones stated.

Video via essexcountypolitics