Leroy Truth Blasts Bill O’Dea Over Selective Outrage, Demands Condemnation of Brian Stack’s “Campaign of Terror”

Jersey City, NJ — May 10, 2025

A searing open letter from investigative journalist Leroy Truth is shaking the political landscape in Hudson County, calling out Hudson County Commissioner Bill O’Dea for what Truth describes as “hypocrisy and selective outrage.”

Truth, who has spent the last 17 months investigating and exposing alleged corruption tied to Union City Mayor and State Senator Brian Stack, issued the blistering statement after O’Dea publicly condemned the recent arrest of Newark Mayor Ras Baraka, calling it “an abuse of power” and “a disgrace.”

While O’Dea’s defense of Baraka drew praise in political circles, Leroy Truth says it exposed a glaring double standard: why, Truth asks, has O’Dea stayed silent in the face of what he describes as a “coordinated campaign of harassment, assault, robbery, and unlawful arrests” allegedly orchestrated by Stack to silence him?

“This is not about politics anymore—it’s about integrity,” Truth wrote. “Commissioner O’Dea, your condemnation of the arrest of Mayor Baraka is valid and necessary—but selective condemnation is not justice.”

Truth’s letter details a series of alarming incidents, which he claims were carried out on orders from Stack and overlooked by the highest law enforcement authorities in New Jersey. Among the incidents:

A Violent Ejection from Public Comment: Truth says he was unlawfully arrested at a Union City commissioners meeting while peacefully speaking during his allotted public comment time—a right protected by law. Dragged from Church: Truth alleges he was “violently ripped out of a church pew” in Jersey City by police while praying during a regular worship service attended by Governor Phil Murphy, Brian Stack, and ex-Governor Jim McGreevey. Assault at a State Senate Hearing: Truth claims he was violently removed and injured by New Jersey State Police for speaking at a Senate judiciary hearing chaired by Stack. Street Attack Caught on Video: Truth describes an assault and robbery in Union City allegedly carried out by City Hall secretary Justin Mercado, under Stack’s direction. Truth says Mercado stole his phone in broad daylight, waving it in front of Stack as “proof of loyalty.” Despite multiple security camera recordings of the incident, New Jersey Attorney General Matt Platkin dismissed Truth’s six criminal complaints, citing “no probable cause.”

Truth did not hold back his fury at Platkin, labeling the Attorney General “complicit” in shielding corruption and creating a “paper trail of corruption with his name on it.”

“Outrage seems to be reserved for political insiders, not for journalists, and not for the American people,” Truth charged. “If you’re going to condemn one injustice, you must condemn them all. Anything less makes your words ring hollow—and aligns you with the very hypocrisy that allows corruption to flourish.”

The letter—signed with Truth’s signature tagline, “Fighting corruption in New Jersey, one truth at a time”—concludes with a direct challenge to O’Dea: name Brian Stack as the root of the problem, or risk being remembered as part of the system that enabled him.

A Pattern of Political Silence

Truth’s criticism highlights a broader issue within Hudson County politics: the enduring grip of Brian Stack’s political machine, which many local insiders have accused of stifling dissent and wielding unchecked power. Despite whispers of corruption for decades, few elected officials have dared to publicly confront Stack—fearing political retaliation or worse.

Truth argues that O’Dea now faces a defining moment.

“You cannot end corruption without the courage to call it out, expose it, and demand that corrupt public servants be indicted and removed,” he wrote. “The silence of most Democratic politicians in New Jersey—at every level—is deafening.”

A Political Crossroads for O’Dea

O’Dea, long seen as a political survivor with mayoral ambitions in Jersey City, has built his reputation as a reform-minded commissioner. But Truth’s letter forces O’Dea into an uncomfortable spotlight, questioning whether his anti-corruption stance is genuine—or just another talking point in an election season.

As Hudson County politics simmer with tension, all eyes are now on Bill O’Dea: Will he meet Leroy Truth’s challenge and name Brian Stack as a corrupt actor? Or will he join the long line of politicians accused of saying the right things while turning a blind eye to Hudson County’s most entrenched power broker?

In the words of Truth’s final warning: “History will remember your answer.”

For those with tips related to alleged corruption by Mayor and Senator Brian P. Stack, Leroy Truth invites contact via his Corruption Tips Hotline at 305-707-8325 or email at LeroyTruth247@gmail.com.

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This is a developing story. Updates will follow as new information becomes available.