Who Secretly Recorded Fall River Mayor Correia? [OPINION]

At an invitation-only, closed-door meeting of the supporters of Fall River Mayor Jasiel Correia II, someone recorded the words of the mayor. Who is the traitor and why did they do it?

Correia is facing impossible odds in his race to get re-elected in November. He has been indicted and arrested by the federal government twice in the last few months. He did survive a recall challenge after his first indictment and arrest by the feds.

Now we have all learned of his re-election strategy because of a secret recording made at an invitation-only meeting of his campaign supporters. At least one of those supporters was a traitor.

No matter what you think of the allegations the federal government has lodged against Mayor Correia, somebody around him is a traitor. That person was invited into his inner circle and secretly recorded the embattled mayor while they smiled and nodded in his face.

The Herald News newspaper has done incredible work on the various corruption stories involving Fall River city government. When presented with the secret recording of the meeting they did what is right and proper. They made the secret recording public for everyone to listen to. The Herald News did what the New York Times and the Washington Post have done in the past.

The fact that the wounded mayor is promoting write-in candidates to split the vote is only shocking to people who don’t understand the rough-and-tumble realities of electioneering. Putting up straw candidates is an old and effective campaign tactic. It probably won’t work this time for Mayor Correia, but it isn’t his invention and it isn’t a corrupt act.

The politics of Fall River are spoiled. Adding a person who is willing to secretly record their friends and family only makes it worse. Jasiel isn’t Jesus and this traitor isn’t Judas, but Fall River has to come to terms with who they are willing to elect as their leaders and those leaders should expel the low rent characters who are willing to be traitors.​

Chris McCarthy is the host of The Chris McCarthy Show on 1420 WBSM New Bedford. He can be heard weekdays from 10 a.m. to noon. Contact him at chris.mccarthy@townsquaremedia.com and follow him on Twitter @Chris_topher_Mc. The opinions expressed in this commentary are solely those of the author.