Congressman Andy Kim found himself entangled in a contentious situation after he posed for a photo at an April 4, 2004, fundraiser with a group of local officials linked to a scandal involving a racist mailer that was distributed during a 2017 school board race.
The infamous mailer, bearing the slogan “MAKE EDISON GREAT AGAIN,” targeted Jerry Shi and Falguni Patel, Asian American school board candidates, urging voters to “Stop Jerry Shi & Falguni Patel From taking over our School Board” and claiming that “The Chinese and Indians are taking over our town! Chinese school! Indian school! Cricket fields! Enough is Enough!!”
An explosive U.S. Postal Inspector probe revealed that Chandrakant Patel, owner of Chowpatty Restaurant and chairman of the Indian Business Association, spoke to U.S. Postal Inspector David Comer alleged that six people came to his restaurant three years ago to work on the campaign flyers.
That United States Postal Service report identified eight people, including township council and school board members, allegedly involved in creating the racist campaign flyers.
According to those reports, the racist mailer was allegedly created by Councilman Ayjay Patil, who was fined for an ethics violation in 2020 but re-elected in 2023; former Board of Education member Jerry Shi; lawyer Satish Poondi; former Democratic Municipal Chairman Shariq Ahmad; former Edison Board of Education Vice President Mohin Patel; Raj Bhagia, the brother of former Edison Democratic Municipal Chairman Mahesh Bhagia; Aloysius Dsouza; and Joseph Dsouza.
New Jersey is one of the most ethnically diverse states in the nation, and racism is nothing new in political competitions, but these messages have been more vitriolic than they were in the past even as suspects face a criminal investigation and exposure for the dirty tricks.
That same year, Ravi Bhalla, a candidate for mayor of Hoboken, New Jersey, was the victim of racist fliers that read, “Don’t let TERRORISM take over our Town.”
The anonymous mailers proved ineffectual as Bhalla was elected the first Sikh mayor of Hoboken while Shi and Patel were both elected to the Edison school board.
These racially charged campaign tactics drew attention and condemnation one year before the New Jersey Republican State Committee mailed out postcards attacking Kim, a Korean-American Democrat who was the challenger to GOP Rep. Tom MacArthur.
The GOP postcard featured images of a fish market juxtaposed next to Kim’s name, which was written in a font similar to Chinese take-out restaurants.
Patel said she was deeply troubled by the mailer, expressing shock and disgust over the message that conflicted with her New Jersey upbringing and denouncing the xenophobic content as outrageous.
Edison Township, known for its diversity with over 43% Asian residents, was rocked by the mailer’s blatant bigotry.
The flyer was widely condemned as “vile” and “racist,” by officials who vowed to identify and hold accountable those responsible for its distribution.
The fundraiser, organized by attorney Richard Trenk, brought the Congressman into the spotlight alongside the controversial figures tied to the racist mailer scandal, including Edison Democratic Municipal Chairman Mahesh Bhagia, school board member Jerry Shi, and attorney Satish Poondi.
Kim’s campaign claimed that he was unaware of the attendees’ backgrounds when he participated in the photo.
The racist mailer saga has a complex history, involving multiple investigations and legal proceedings.
An extensive probe, involving federal and state law enforcement, was initiated following the mailer’s distribution. A grand jury was impaneled, indicating ongoing scrutiny and potential legal ramifications for those implicated.
Despite the scandal, Asian American candidates have persevered, winning elections, underscoring their commitment to community service, and advocating for diversity.
Discover more from NJTODAY.NET
Subscribe to get the latest posts to your email.