New Jersey Election Meeting Disrupted by Disturbing Zoom Bomb
A routine virtual session of the New Jersey Election Law Enforcement Commission (ELEC) took an unexpected turn this Thursday, as it fell victim to a “Zoom bomb” featuring graphic, racist, and antisemitic content.
The commission convened to select sponsors for two gubernatorial debates this fall, set to feature Republican Jack Ciattarelli and Democratic Rep. Mikie Sherrill, along with a debate for lieutenant governor candidates. Nine sponsors were scheduled to present their cases, which would ultimately influence the commission’s sponsorship decisions.
Initially, the meeting progressed without incident for about ten minutes, with the first presentation from NJ PBS/WNYC/WHYY proceeding smoothly. However, the second presentation, delivered by WABC-TV New York/WPVI-TV Philadelphia/Rutgers Bloustein School of Planning and Public Policy, abruptly faced interruptions. Disturbing sounds, including alarms and explosion-like noises, began to disrupt the presenters, prompting moderators to repeatedly remind attendees to mute their microphones.
As Niki Hawkins, VP of community engagement at WPVI-TV, and Tamala Edwards, the channel’s political show moderator, began their remarks, the screen was suddenly filled with pornographic images—one prominently featuring a Swastika—while audio blared a song that repeatedly used the N-word. This chaotic spectacle lasted for about a minute before the meeting was terminated.
ELEC Chair Thomas Prol took to social media to express his outrage over what he termed a “shocking breach of public trust,” announcing that he had requested an investigation from the governor’s office and the state attorney general. “They have put their top investigators on the hack that occurred,” Prol stated. “On behalf of my fellow commissioners and myself, I say this to those responsible: You will not disrupt democracy in New Jersey. We will find you and prosecute you.”
The meeting has been rescheduled for next Tuesday, with “safeguards in place,” Prol confirmed. Typically, ELEC posts its meeting agenda in advance and requires public attendees to register via a secure Zoom link.
ELEC Deputy Director Joe Donohue remarked that while minor disruptions have occurred in previous meetings, nothing matched the severity of this incident.
As the shift to online meetings has become more common in the wake of the Covid-19 pandemic, “Zoom bombing” incidents have also seen a rise in frequency. Earlier this year, a similar disruption occurred during a virtual event hosted by a progressive group for Newark Mayor Ras Baraka, one of two Black candidates in the gubernatorial Democratic primary.
