CLARK – Acting Chair Colleen Mahr banned media from the special convention of the Union County Democratic Committee this evening, where Democrats began gathering prior to a scheduled 7 p.m. showdown between Mahr and state Senator Nick Scutari (D-22) for the party chairmanship

“This is a closed meeting,” a visibly irritated Mahr declared, after party members at the door of the Gran Centurions had already administered a media wristband to a reporter, a member in good standing of the New Jersey Press Association.

The acting chair of the party ordered an ally of hers to escort out and then remove the media wristband from the reporter’s wrist. The Mahr proceeded to wrench and tear off in the presence of a police officer.

This was not the first time the acting chair showed resistance to the presence of the media at a political event.

At a meeting of the Plainfield Democratic Committee earlier this month, which InsiderNJ attended on the invitation of Mayor Adrian Mapp, who chairs the local party organization, Mahr approached InsiderNJ and said, irritably, “What are you doing here?”