Congressional candidate Jeromie Whalen believes that recent news media reports of past alcohol-related charges from his college years will strengthen his bid against longtime Congressman Richard Neal, not weaken it.
Whalen said the timing of a New York Post story published Sunday highlighting his alcohol use from the ages of 18 to 23 is not a coincidence, calling it a “dirty tactic” by Neal attempting to “smear” his challenger about a week before the state primary election next Tuesday, Sept. 1.
“He [Neal] has resorted in the last few weeks to desperate attempts to smear me and people see through it,” Whalen, the 39-year-old South Hadley resident, said in an interview Tuesday.
“I think it says more about his character than mine. He wants this to be a distraction,” Whalen said about the 37-year incumbent of the Massachusetts’ 1st Congressional District.
Neal’s campaign did not respond to requests for comment Tuesday afternoon.
The Post reported several past charges against Whalen dating back to January 2006 when, at the age of 18, he was charged with misdemeanor battery by the Osceola County Sheriff’s Office in Florida for getting into an altercation with a hospital security guard.
The report says Whalen was extremely intoxicated and resisting care from hospital workers when he poked the security guard in the chest. Prosecutors did not move forward with the case.
The Post also reported that in 2009 Whalen was arrested for a noise violation at a house party in Amherst. A year later, in 2010, he was charged with operating under the influence in a one-car crash after he drove into the bushes of a private property in Amherst.
“In college, I think a lot of us are at a time of newfound independence and freedom and when you mix alcohol in that, it leads to situations that you otherwise might not be in,” Whalen said. “I’ve taken accountability every time I have had a run-in with the law.”
Whalen said he has learned from his past mistakes and faced the consequences, using it as a way to better himself and get involved in his community. In fact, Whalen said the recent reports “free” him in some ways, seeing it as a “candid” moment that will allow him to connect with voters.
“This is classic Richard Neal playbook,” Whalen said, adding that Neal has also put off having a debate with him this year until Wednesday this week when they face off in a 22News televised debate.
The New York Post report is not the first time negative information about Neal’s opponents has surfaced in advance of a primary election. In early August 2020, Neal’s challenger, former Holyoke Mayor Alex Morse, was accused of pursing romantic relationships with students as an instructor at the University of Massachusetts Amherst.
Whalen said while the recent news of his past charges has changed his campaign in some ways, the core message remains the same.
“What we’ve created here in Mass. District 1 is truly special. People are feeling energized and hopeful and we haven’t experienced that in a last time,” Whalen said. “What we’ve created is a lot bigger than myself.”
