A political operative was ordered to appear in court recently, accused by fellow Republicans of stealing their town committee's identity by setting up a Facebook page to tout a candidate he favored in a contested central Massachusetts primary race.
Ralph Zazula of Bedford appeared in a clerk magistrate's hearing in Ayer District Court, where Shirley Republican Town Committee members presented their complaint. Previously, Committee chairman Kevin Hayes went to the Shirley Police claiming Zazula had set up a Facebook page that purported to represent the views of the town committee without permission.
Hayes said Zazula's posting made it appear that the town committee was backing Tom Weaver, who was running against Jon Golnik for the Republican nomination for the third congressional seat currently held by Nicki Tsongas (D-Lowell). Police confirmed they investigated the matter, and advised Hayes to take the matter before a magistrate.
Marlboro Republican City Committee chairman Paul Fero, meanwhile, said he wants to get control of a similiar Marlboro-related Facebook site which he said "gave the false impression that the we were supporting Weaver. We were not intending to endorse anyone."
Zazula informed the Boston Herald that he started more than 27 pages that were identified by a town name and included the words GOP. He said none of his sites used the actual names of the committee's Republican committees. Zazula, defending his actions, claimed that he "created these pages because I had an interest in making connections to the community. Zazula said he believed that the matter will thrown out of court because it was not a violation of the law."
A spokesman for Weaver, who lost the Republican primary to Golnik, said the former candidate is standing by Zazula.
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