The Committee to Recall Councilperson Marie Strumolo Burke has issued the following official statement regarding the recall petition that was recently initiated:
It is with regret that the residents of Belleville are left with no choice but to call for the involuntary removal of Marie Strumolo Burke as First Ward Councilperson. This recall is being initiated as a direct result of her proven racist remarks, and her lack of integrity and accountability in her subsequent public handling of this controversial matter.
Earlier this year, a voicemail recording with a female voice yelling an offensive racial slur was presented to the Belleville town council. The political nature of the call, the parties named in the conversation, and the distinctive voice itself strongly suggested it was Councilperson Marie Strumolo Burke who was responsible for the vulgar racial outburst.
A copy of the recording can be heard here:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yslP59W-62Q
In the weeks that followed, Burke made repeated verbal denials, as well as printed campaign literature adamantly denying that it was her voice on the recording. Burke stated that she was “100% certain” it was not her voice, and claimed she was simply the victim of “gutter politics” from her political opponents.
Throughout this time, residents publicly called for an admission of guilt and a suitable apology from Burke. Her fellow municipal council members censured her, then called for her to step down. Even the NAACP has been vocal in publicly calling for her resignation.
Despite all of this, Burke refused to take any decisive action to either exonerate herself, or admit what she did, and step down from office.
Residents of Belleville were so certain that this was Burke’s voice on tape, that in April, they decided to pay, out of their own pockets, for an independent voice analysis to conclusively prove whether or not Burke had in fact made this offensive racial comment.
On April 28, 2014, Michigan-based forensic expert Mr. Ed Primeau, a 30-year veteran who is known for his expert testimony in the Trayvon Martin case, authenticated Burke’s voice on the recording.
Mr. Primeau stated the following:
“I conclude beyond a reasonable degree of scientific certainty that the voice of the female caller that can be heard in the background of the voicemail to be that of Marie Burke.”
In addition to continuing her denials in the face of this overwhelming evidence of her guilt, Burke even went so far as to imply in a written statement that the forensic expert was somehow wrongfully coerced into stating it was her voice on the recording.
Still, Burke refused to take any decisive action to either exonerate herself, or admit what she did, and step down from office.
It has been nearly three months since Burke was scientifically proven to have made these vulgar and offensive racial remarks. In that time, she has refused our demands for an apology, and even ignored a generous offer from the community to help vindicate herself. Instead, she has chosen time and time again to lie to the residents of Belleville about her responsibility for this hateful behavior.
More alarming is that Essex County Democrats refuse to step in and remove her from office, only offering the token act of demoting her from Chair of the Democratic Committee, to Vice Chair.
Therefore, for their inaction, we can only conclude that our local Democratic leadership has no interest in decisively dealing with blatantly racist behavior coming from within its own political ranks. However, the residents of Belleville, a proudly multi-cultured community, expect and demand integrity from our elected officials.
For her proven racist remarks, her repeated dishonesty, and her deplorable lack of integrity in handling this matter, we are calling for the removal of Marie Strumolo Burke as First Ward Councilperson.
Let it be known that racial hatred is not to be tolerated in our community, least of all from our elected officials who swore an oath to uphold the public trust.
Belleville deserves better.
Sincerely,
The Committee to Recall Councilperson Marie Strumolo Burke
Contact:
info@recallburke.com
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