Republican council candidate harasses Queens elected officials
A Republican candidate for New York City Council in Queens has repeatedly harassed Queens Democrats and other elected officials across the city, to the point where the police have been called on him multiple times and he has faced charges of trespassing.
In August, Jonathan Rinaldi – an anti-vaccine activist and self-described journalist who is running as the Republican nominee in City Council District 24 – aggressively confronted his opponent, Democratic Council Member James Gennaro, and challenged him to a debate. Gennaro then referred to him as a white supremacist, and Rinaldi exploded at him.
“You talk to me like that, I’m gonna catch you outside and make you, show you what a white supremacist is!” he yelled at Gennaro, according to a video of the encounter published on social media. When Gennaro responded that Rinaldi seemed to be threatening him, Rinaldi said, “Yeah, you better believe it’s a threat. You want to insult me? I’ll whoop your ass!”
Rinaldi’s encounters with Gennaro and other elected officials are not hidden; he has posted videos of every one on his TikTok or Instagram accounts.
In an interview with City & State, Rinaldi denied ever making threats against any lawmaker or public official and described a conspiracy to silence him. “I’m getting close to the money and that’s why they’re coming after me,” Rinaldi said. “There’s an election in November, why would I call and make threats? That’s insane.” Asked specifically about threatening Gennaro, Rinaldi first claimed what he said was not a threat and then called Gennaro “a snowflake.”
https://www.cityandstateny.com/politics/2023/10/republican-council-candidate-harasses-queens-elected-officials/390894/
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