Vandals Hit Belmar, NJ, GOP Headquarters

Local politics in one Monmouth County town is getting nasty ahead of election day.

Vandals hit the Republican headquarters in Belmar over the weekend.

Red spray paint was used to write the words "blood money" across a GOP banner. Red "X's" were painted across the faces of Republican candidates Mark Walsifer, James McCracken, and Katrina Clapsis.

Walsifer, who is running for another term as Belmar's mayor, called the vandalism "as disappointing as it is appalling."

He immediately blamed democrats for the vandalism, "injecting a new level of venom and polarization into the local municipal race."

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Katrina Clapsis, who is running for council, said, "I hope — but very much doubt — that the people that did this have the integrity to come forward and take responsibility for their actions."

Democrats were quick to condemn the vandalism, and claim they had nothing to do with it. "These unlawful acts of vandalism are inexcusable, and the perpetrators must be brought to justice," read a statement posted to Facebook.

Mayoral Candidate Gerald Buccafusco also condemned his rival for blaming Democrats without any hard evidence, "For the mayor to imply, without evidence, that these acts were carried out by us...is reckless and irresponsible."

Belmar Democrats say they are cooperating with a police investigation.

A police report was filed with Belmar Police, but no update was available at the time of this article's publication.