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North Shore city councilor accused of harassing Trump supporters
Steven Stanganelli, an at-large councilor in Amesbury, said that the incident wasn't political and that he was trying to encourage the rally to obey traffic laws.
A North Shore city councilor is accused of blocking multiple vehicles involved in a rolling rally in support of former President Donald Trump on Saturday, but says he was trying to enforce traffic regulations, according to reports and court records.
Steven Stanganelli, an at-large councilor in Amesbury, appeared in Newburyport District Court Monday morning. He pleaded not guilty to one misdemeanor charge of disorderly conduct and was released on his own personal recognizance.
“While I strive to do the right thing, as we all may try to do, I sometimes come up short,” Stanganelli said on Facebook. “This is one of those times. This was not my finest hour. For that and the embarrassment to my family, friends, and those who may support me, I am sorry. Regardless of what people on social media will say, this is not a pattern of misbehavior.”
Police: Councilor was ‘screaming and yelling’ at rolling Trump rally
Stanganelli was allegedly “screaming and yelling towards a small group of people” when a series of vehicles with Trump and American flags were driving through Amesbury’s downtown on Market Street, according to a police report obtained by Boston 25 News.
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Amesbury is a city of about 17,000 people located near Newburyport.
A witness told police that he was “antagonizing each Trump vehicle that passed,” 25 News reported. Stanganelli was also accused of blocking a vehicle and jumping on the hood when the driver inched forward.
Stanganelli appears to be yelling at vehicles from a corner near a stop sign in a video posted to X. He steps in front of the moving vehicle, points to the stop sign, and begins counting to three, presumably referring to how long to stop at a sign.
In the video, the vehicle continues moving forward anyway, and Stanganelli jumps on the hood before quickly jumping off and flashing his middle finger at the vehicle.
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Stanganelli seemed to address the video in a statement posted to Facebook on Monday evening. He said he saw multiple vehicles “blowing through an intersection marked with a ‘stop’ sign that has had numerous incidents and close calls in the past.”
“One of these vehicles continued to creep forward and made contact with me,” Stanganelli wrote on Facebook. “Instinctively, I jumped up and landed a foot on the vehicle’s front bumper and my torso on the hood. After the vehicle came to a stop, I slid off and got out of the way.”
Stanganelli: It wasn’t political
Stanganelli denied any political motivation for the incident in a statement posted to Facebook Monday evening, saying he isn’t a Republican or Democrat.
Instead, he said traffic safety is important to him. He said a friend of his, a bicyclist, was hit and killed by a driver who rolled through a stop sign.
“He left a widow, and his two children were without a father. I think of this each time I go out for my own bike rides,” his statement read. “This is what was running through my mind as this incident unfolded.”
William Donohue, the communications director for the mayor’s office, said any discipline stemming from the incident would come from the City Council, not the mayor.
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“We understand that this is a very polarized time in politics and that emotions are running high as we prepare for the election on Tuesday,” Donahue said in a statement to Boston.com. “However, the city of Amesbury does not tolerate or condone behavior such as what took place on Saturday, regardless of the political climate.”
Stanganelli is due back in court in December.
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