NEW: Ciattarelli Praises “Inner Circle” Advisor After Antisemitic and Homophobic Speech

NEW: Ciattarelli Praises “Inner Circle” Advisor After Antisemitic and Homophobic Speech

New reporting from Jewish Insider and The Advocate revealed that Jack Ciattarelli’s Executive Director for Muslim Relations bragged that he does not take money from Jews and that Ciattarelli “wants to have a ban on same-sex marriage.” In 2021, Ciattarelli voted against legalizing same sex marriage.

To make things worse, there is a video of the Ciattarelli campaign event where these hateful comments were made. The footage shows Ciattarelli acknowledging the remarks and praising this advisor in his “inner circle” just minutes after that same person made these antisemitic and homophobic comments.

Ciattarelli has a long record of campaigning with extremists who are dangerously out of touch with New Jersey families. Earlier this month, Ciattarelli rallied with MAGA conspiracy theorists Scott Presler, Benny Johnson, and Jack Posobiec, all of whom worked to overturn the 2020 election. He has also campaigned with right-wing radio host Sid Rosenberg who said “all Democrats are ‘degenerates, lowlives, Jew-haters’” as well as January 6 insurrectionist Joe Belnome.

Watch the full clip here and read more about the hateful comments that Jack refuses to condemn. 

• Jewish Insider: Jack Ciattarelli’s Muslim affairs advisor bragged at campaign event that he doesn’t take money from Jews
  • Ciattarelli, the Republican nominee, appeared alongside Nadeem on Saturday evening at the event, held in Piscataway, N.J, where he called Nadeem one of his closest advisors. At the event, Nadeem alleged some Muslims in his community had accused him of “taking money from Jews” to support Ciattarelli, which he pointedly denied.
  • “Every time I got tired, people from my community — when I was blamed that — somebody said ‘You are taking money from Jews.’ I said, ‘I check my bank account every day, brother, it is not there,’” Nadeem told the crowd, after also having made remarks against same-sex marriage.
  • Nadeem also noted that he “wants to have a ban on same-sex marriage” in New Jersey. In remarks delivered shortly after Nadeem’s speech, Ciattarelli embraced the local Arab leader as a close confidante without condemning his comments about Jews.

• The Advocate: Aide to N.J. GOP governor nominee states opposition to marriage equality and to ‘taking money from Jews’
  • At the event, Nadeem said, “We want to have a ban on same-sex marriage,” as documented in video posted on X. He noted that Ciattarelli had voted against marriage equality as a New Jersey state representative and would continue to oppose it. He followed that by saying, “Somebody said you are taking money from Jews. I check my bank account every day, brother. It is not there.”
  • Ciattarelli then took the mike and did not condemn Nadeem’s statements, instead saying, “Dr. Ibrar Nadeem. Just once I wish you’d say exactly what’s on your mind. Let’s hear it one time, one more time for the doctor.” He also called Nadeem “this very, very impressive man” who “hasn’t let me down one day.”
  • Ciattarelli voted against the marriage equality bill as a state legislator in 2012, the Human Rights Campaign notes.

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