Ex-NJ Candidate, Sex Offender Spoke At Trump News Conference

NEW JERSEY — A poll worker who spoke about allegations of voter fraud in Philadelphia over the weekend is a perennial political candidate and a convicted sex offender in New Jersey, officials said on Monday.

Officials in New Jersey spoke publicly on Monday about how they recognized Daryl Brooks when he spoke during Rudy Giuliani’s now infamous news conference outside Four Seasons Total Landscaping.

“I saw Daryl Brooks, a perennial candidate for everything from Congress to governor” in New Jersey, Trenton Mayor Reed Gusciora said. “Daryl's a perennial candidate who was never taken seriously, and here he is suddenly in the middle of Votergate, which is truly a hoax.”

Gusciora also pointed to Brooks' conviction, in which he was found guilty of fondling himself in front of two young girls in 1998, according to nj.com. During the news conference, Brooks identified himself as a Philadelphia resident for the last two years.

Brooks acknowledged his conviction to Politico, saying Giuliani didn't ask about it, but he didn't think it made a difference. James Gee, chief of staff for Rep. Bonnie Watson Coleman (D-12), told Politico he also recognized Brooks. Neither Brooks or Gee were available to Patch for comment on Monday.

Brooks last ran for office in 2012, when he ran as a Reform Party candidate challenging U.S. Sen. Robert Menendez. He finished last in a field of 11 candidates. He considered a run for Trenton City Council in 2014, but never filed paperwork, according to the New Jersey Globe.

Brooks also ran for Senate in 2006 and 2008, and for Congress in 2004. He’s run as a Green Party candidate, as well as a Libertarian.

In Philadelphia on Saturday, he portrayed himself as a Republican who supported President Donald Trump’s re-election bid, and who was harassed by Democratic poll watchers.

“They put us 20 feet away, told us no cameras, no phones, don’t take any pictures,” Brooks said. “They moved us 6 feet away, but they still wouldn’t let us see anything. It’s sad. This is a Democracy, and they didn’t allow us to see anything. It’s not fair at all.”

Gusciora also described the situation as sad, but for a different reason.

“It’s sad for our country. Rudy Giuliani is a legal spokesman, and here he is concocting a fraudulent scheme using anyone he can find,” Gusciora said.

Video from the news conference can be found below. Brooks begins speaking eight minutes, 40 seconds into the video.