Brian Stack’s Sponsorship of Anti-Violence Bill Drips With Hypocrisy

Trenton, NJ – State Senator Doug Steinhardt (R-Hunterdon/Warren) is spearheading legislation that would make New Jersey the first state in the nation to classify political violence as a hate crime. Standing beside him as a co-sponsor is none other than Sen. Brian Stack (D-Union City). At first glance, the partnership looks like bipartisan unity against extremism. But scratch beneath the surface, and Stack’s involvement is a glaring act of hypocrisy.

A Documented Record of Violence and Intimidation

For nearly two years, investigative journalists who have scrutinized Stack’s use of city resources and political machine tactics have reported being harassed, assaulted, and intimidated by his supporters. These aren’t vague allegations—they are backed by police complaints, arrests, summonses, and court records. While charges in some cases may have been dismissed, the very existence of such reports confirms that incidents serious enough to trigger police action did occur.

Stack himself is no stranger to physical altercations. His history includes documented incidents of violence, and his infamous photograph with a black eye—widely circulated and mocked—remains a public reminder of his volatility and “tough guy” posturing.

Even Union City’s police leadership has been implicated: the city’s police chief, Anthony Facchini, was caught harassing an investigative journalist at a Stack political rally. When the very institutions charged with protecting the public are weaponized against critics, Stack’s moral authority to sponsor an “anti-violence” bill evaporates.

The Fear Behind the Bill

Stack’s sponsorship is not just hypocritical—it may also reveal his growing anxiety and paranoia. With investigative journalists continuing to expose allegations of corruption within Union City and the State Senate, it is hard to ignore the timing. By attaching himself to legislation that shields politicians from violence, Stack appears less like a champion of safety and more like a man desperate to insulate himself from the backlash his own actions have invited.

GOP’s Cowardly Silence

Sen. Steinhardt and the New Jersey Republican Party also deserve criticism for their willful blindness. While Republicans frequently decry corruption in New Jersey politics, they remain silent about the mountain of evidence against Stack—choosing political expediency over principle. By holding up Stack as a co-sponsor, the GOP is effectively whitewashing his record and enabling the very behavior they claim to oppose.

A Rotten Foundation

Yes, protecting public officials from violence is a legitimate goal. But when one of the bill’s main backers has a history littered with police complaints, arrests of his supporters, intimidation of journalists, and even personal incidents of violence, the legislation itself becomes tainted. Far from a bold stand against political extremism, it reeks of political theater and self-preservation.

Until both parties confront Brian Stack’s corruption and history of intimidation, this so-called “first-in-the-nation” anti-violence bill will remain nothing more than a hypocritical shield for one of New Jersey’s most notorious machine politicians.