A Republican congressional candidate in the 3rd District of New Jersey has been arrested on charges of driving under the influence of alcohol early Sunday morning after refusing to take a breathalyzer test.
Ian A. Smith, the owner of the Atlis gym and an outspoken critic of Gov. Phil Murphy, is vying for victory from the Republican Party to meet representative Andy Kim (D-Mooretown) in the fall.
Cinnaminson Police Officer Harry Sicale issued Smith six summonses, including reckless and reckless driving after he stopped a Republican candidate on Highway 130 North near Andover Road.
Company spokesman Steve Cush said Smith’s truck swerved from the strong wind and that he had passed a field sobriety test.
“The policeman was not happy and handcuffed him,” Kush said. “She will have her day in court. Everyone will know that Ian was not drunk driving. “
Smith is due to appear in Cinnaminson Municipal Court on April 14.
Cush said Smith refused the breathalyzer test for fear that Sicale, a former great Cinnaminson High School baseball player, might try to substitute him.
“Jan doesn’t trust the government very much after the governor’s persecution for the last two years,” Kush said.
Smith gained national notoriety by refusing to follow Murphy’s mandate to close businesses and masks in the first months of the coronavirus pandemic, became a public face of opposition to Murphy’s mandate to close fitness centers in March 2020, resuming his business in May 2020 against the state. before the Ministry of Health staff closed it.
He became politically active, calling Murphy a “sliding ball” and building a social media presence around his opposition against the COVID-19 governor’s fight.
Smith’s gym later offered free membership to people who refused vaccinations.
But the long wait – and Smith’s conviction for murder in a car nearly fifteen years ago – could jeopardize Smith’s initial bid against a candidate backed by Republican organizations in Burlington, Mercer and Manmouth counties, businessman Robert Healy Jr.
When he was 20, Smith was responsible for a car crash that killed 19-year-old Kevin Eid of Galloway. Smith rolled over the Stop sign and crashed into the door of Ada’s car from the driver’s side, overturned it to the side and pushed until the car crashed into a tree. Ade was pronounced dead at the scene.
After his release from prison, Smith claimed responsibility for Ada’s death.
“I would entrust Jan Smith to take my mother to the doctor,” Kush said.
Smith will be represented by attorney Christopher St. John, former Deputy Attorney General, Assistant Attorney General of Camden County and Captain of the JAG Corps of the U.S. Army Corps.
A change of county in Congress removed the Ocean County Republican Fortress from District 3, replacing it with most of Burlington, Hamilton, Lawrence, East Windsor and Robinsville in Mercer, as well as part of western Monmouth County.
Healy, owner of a yacht company and who led a punk rock band as a young adult, already in the race. Healy raised more than $ 500,000 for the last two months of 2021
The charges against Smith were first reported by the South Jersey Times.
