Jersey City Cop Accuses Mayor Of Using Cannabis Firings To Boost His Gubernatorial Ambitions

A new lawsuit accuses Jersey City Mayor Steve Fulop of using his stance against police officers' off-duty cannabis use as a political ploy to boost his 2025 gubernatorial campaign.

Attorney Michael Rubas, representing Mackenzie Reilly, a police officer terminated after testing positive for cannabis in August 2023, filed the suit in Hudson County Superior Court.

Rubas argues that Fulop's actions are a "ruse done solely to bring attention to him and to assist his gubernatorial campaign.", reported New Jersey Monitor.

Reilly’s Case

After being suspended without pay in March 2023, Reilly was officially fired in August, in what the complaint describes as an "arrogant and condescending" order that disregarded the state constitution, the marijuana legalization law, and the attorney general's memo.

The suit alleges that Jersey City officials exacerbated the situation by publicly announcing Reilly's termination to the entire police department, leading his colleagues to believe he was guilty of serious misconduct.

Reilly's lawsuit is not an isolated case. Despite New Jersey law allowing off-duty cannabis use for police officers, Jersey City officials have fired or suspended multiple officers, citing federal law prohibiting cannabis users from carrying firearms.

However, the New Jersey Civil Service Commission has repeatedly ordered the city to reinstate these officers, including Reilly and two others, Norhan Mansour and Omar Polanco. The city has not complied, leading to mounting legal battles.

Get Benzinga's exclusive analysis and the top news about the cannabis industry and markets daily in your inbox for free. Subscribe to our newsletter here. If you're serious about the business, you can't afford to miss out.

Read Also: $75 For An Eighth Of An Ounce? Why Are New Jersey Cannabis Prices Still So High?

The Alleged Political Motive

The lawsuit suggests that Fulop's crackdown is politically motivated, pointing to an email exchange shortly after the policy was announced.

Fulop received an article on the issue and forwarded it to Public Safety Director James Shea, commenting, "Little revolt we started."

Rubas describes this remark as "flippant," further alleging that city officials conspired to violate state law.

City spokeswoman Kimberly Wallace-Scalcione dismissed the allegations, stating the city is following federal policy and asserting, "Most people would agree with the administration that police officers should not be coming to work stoned."

• Read Next: NJ Police Officers Fired For Off-Duty Cannabis Use, City Argues They Violated Federal Law

Photo via Shutterstock.