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Journalists from across the country descended on Union City, New Jersey Tuesday after Mayor Brian Stack arrested a man for criticizing him at a public meeting. What they discovered inside City Hall raised even more questions about how taxpayer money gets spent.
The Mysterious Stairs Paint Job
The press conference was supposed to happen on City Hall steps, but crews were busy painting them the morning of the event. When reporters asked maintenance staff about the timing, they got no answers about why the stairs needed fresh paint on this particular day. The timing struck many as suspiciously convenient for a mayor trying to control his public image.
City employees inside seemed equally evasive when asked basic questions about their lunch break policies. Multiple workers claimed they don't take lunch breaks at all, yet cameras captured them eating at their desks throughout the day.
Free Money for Votes Upstairs
The real story emerged on the upper floors of City Hall. A rent control office employee confirmed the city helps people with immigration paperwork and rental assistance. When pressed about whether this constitutes vote buying, the worker clammed up and refused further comment.
"If you are illegally in this country and you were looking for free money, free rent, free power, free whatever, they are giving it away in trade for votes here in Union City," one journalist observed after touring the building.
Workers at the Union City Housing Authority became visibly agitated when cameras appeared, with one employee physically pushing a reporter before being forced to apologize by police.
Training Day Revelations
Hudson County Prosecutor's Office had recently mandated First Amendment training for all officers by 11:59 PM the previous night. Most Union City police officers confirmed they watched the video and learned about citizens' rights to record in public spaces. The training appeared to be working, as officers remained professional throughout the day.
However, when reporters requested copies of the training materials, they were denied. Officials claimed they couldn't "disseminate" the content, though they wouldn't explain why taxpayer-funded training materials should remain secret.
The Cancellation That Says Everything
By afternoon, both the commissioner meeting and National Night Out event were quietly canceled. City Clerk staff directed reporters to the online calendar where the cancellations appeared without explanation. The mayor's office provided no statement about why events were called off on the same day journalists arrived to investigate corruption allegations.
Watch the full investigation unfold as reporters uncover what Union City officials didn't want the public to see.
