Jersey City mayor sparks backlash after firing brother of anti-LGBTQ candidate

JERSEY CITY — Mayor Steven Fulop was at the center of an online firestorm after firing a staff member who made campaign donations to his sister, an inflammatory conservative candidate.

Valentina Gomez is running for secretary of state in Missouri.

The Republican, who spent some of her childhood in New Jersey, has become a viral star for her frequent anti-LGBTQ and racist posts on social media.

In New Jersey, her brother, Jonathan Gomez, has been an aide to Fulop and was appointed to the Mayor’s LGBTQ+ Task Force.

Following a wave of reports and backlash, Jonathan Gomez was no longer with the Jersey City mayor’s office on Tuesday.

“Jonathan’s actions are inexcusable. Whether it’s campaigning for his sister, advising her hate-driven campaign, or supporting her financially, the fact is that Jonathan’s actions render his responsibilities working in City Hall on policies around diversity impossible to achieve,” a spokesperson for Fulop said to New Jersey 101.5.

“Jonathan was given every opportunity to correct it, and he chose not to. We hope the Gomez family will one day move past hate and understand that their actions and words have consequences.”

RELATED: Union calls Fulop anti-law enforcement

Political donations confirmed

On Friday, Jersey City Times reported that Jonathan Gomez had made several donations to Valentina Gomez’s political campaign, which is largely an anti-LGBTQ platform.

The same day, Valentina Gomez shared a new Instagram post repeatedly using an antigay slur, with disparaging remarks about transgender athletes and LGBTQ+ individuals.

Criticism in NJ grew over the weekend.

Jersey City Councilman Frank Gilmore posted to X on Sunday, directed at the mayor: “You must remove Johnathan from the LGBTQ task force. He can not contribute financially to a candidate who direct hate speech to the LGBTQ community and be expected to properly represent said community.”

Valentina Gomez responded on X, “Yes please! Appoint him to more useful boards instead of that gay s**t.”

She also said that Fulop was “the only Democrat mayor that has actually done right for the city he leads,” before disparaging the councilman.

Jersey City Councilman James Solomon, then got involved, responding on X to Valentina Gomez, “I can see why you left Jersey City - this pathetic, weird, offensive s**t done for a glimpse of relevance doesn't fly here.”

Valentina Gomez attended Tulane University, where her college swimmer profile said she was from Jersey City.

Other task force members resign

By Monday, other members of the LGBTQ task force resigned in protest over Jonathan Gomez’s conflicting actions, Jersey City Times reported.

Jonathan Gomez posted to X on Monday afternoon, saying he was stepping down from the task force.

“Let me be clear: I do not support any hateful remarks directed toward the LGBTQ+ community or any individual. I am formally stepping down from the Mayor's LGBTQ+ Task Force and look forward to continue serving the people of Jersey City, focusing on a future where meritocracy and results matter most.”

Critics of Gomez supporting his sister’s incendiary campaign responded to the statement, one pointing out that “Civil rights aren’t a policy disagreement, and framing them as such is precisely the problem.”

Monday night, Valentina Gomez posted a video to X that included part of a phone call between her brother and Fulop, slamming him and saying he sounded like a dictator.

Also Monday night, Fulop announced that Gomez was no longer on his staff. 

Inter-state controversy raged as Missouri’s primary election was held on Tuesday.

Other conservative figures shared support for Valentina Gomez’s Monday video, saying that her brother should not have been fired from his job and backing the idea of a wrongful termination lawsuit.

RELATED: NJ is an at-will state: Reasons you're allowed to be fired for

On Tuesday, Fulop’s office said to New Jersey 101.5 that the mayor is a fierce defender of the LGBTQ+ community, both in public and private, while his administration has “zero tolerance for bigotry and racism.”

“With regard to Jonathan, the mayor has a longstanding personal relationship with Jonathan as a mentor for years. So, it saddens the mayor not only because he feels violated and betrayed by Jonathan’s decision to record and weaponize personal conversations but more that Jonathan was unable to see the impact of not calling out hate for what it is,” the spokesperson for Fulop added.

Just two week ago, Jonathan Gomez represented Fulop's office for the Colombia Flag Raising at City Hall.

The Daily Show previously has addressed Valentina Gomez’s railing against WNBA pro Britney Griner, in part for the athlete's sexual orientation.