UNION CITY AND BEYOND — What apparently started out as a misunderstanding last December became fodder for the North Hudson political gossip network this week. NBC reported on Monday that an off-duty federal agent for the Immigration and Customs Enforcement Agency told police in December that State Sen. and Union City Mayor Brian Stack threatened him in the street during a confrontation.
Stack, sources said, received a call from his girlfriend, who claimed that an ICE agent had blocked her in and appeared to be carrying a gun, and would not identify himself.
The ICE officer apparently lives near Stack on New York Avenue. He had a card in his windshield that said “official business.” The incident occurred shortly after federal agents had taken records from Union City City Hall, reportedly investigating Community Development Block Grant funds.
Apparently, Stack went to his girlfriend’s aid, and both sides called police.
Stack said that he asked, the ICE agent did not identify himself. He said he was only helping his girlfriend.
A lieutenant from the Union City Police Department, along with a number of other officers, responded to the scene, where apparently, both Stack and the ICE officer had been involved a heated exchange.
Stack denied threatening the federal officer. The matter was investigated by the FBI, but no charges were filed against Stack.
Those close to Stack call it a misunderstanding.
According to NBC, Stack already believed the FBI was harassing him. NBC reported that Stack’s attorney, Dennis McAlevy, had sent letters to the FBI complaining that agents were parked near Stack’s house to unnerve him. In fact, the agent who lived on the street was parked there, and he was letting another agent sleep on his couch because the other agent’s home was damaged by Hurricane Sandy. Thus, there were two cars with official placards parking on that street, but it was unrelated to the FBI investigation.
See the full report here. – Al Sullivan
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