New Jersey candidate's Facebook account calls for rape of journalist

WEST DEPTFORD TWP., New Jersey -- A race for township council in New Jersey that very few people knew about exploded onto the national stage Monday via social media.

A reporter for the website The Daily Beast exposed the writer of some very nasty and obscene posts towards her as a GOP candidate for the West Deptford Township Committee in Gloucester County.

The day began when Daily Beast reporter Olivia Nuzzi shared an article written by someone else about Donald Trump's ex-wife Marla Maples.

In two Facebook comments Mike Krawitz, a candidate for the committee, wrote to Nuzzi saying: [Expletive] You. Olivia, I. Hope. Somebody. Rapes. You. Today. :)."

In another comment he wrote: "Hope. You. Get. Raped. By. A. Syrian. Refugee. :)"

Our sister station, WPVI, went to Krawitz's home to ask him about the posts.

A woman there told us he was home and went to get him.

"Michael, Dann Cuellar is here," the woman said before closing the door.

We waited and waited and knocked on the door.

But then the woman returned and said, "He's not here."

Krawitz is quoted by the Philadelphia Inquirer as saying that it was not him, but a hacker who posted the offensive comments.

But Nuzzi told WPVI that Krawitz has been trolling her since 2014.

In a post dated August 10, Krawitz asked Nuzzi on Facebook: "How's. The. Gun. Crime. In. Democrat. Chicago. Oliva. You. Ugly. Stupid. [Expletive.] :)"

Each of the comments are marked by periods after every word and a smiley face.

WPVI spoke with Joann Priga, the woman running with Krawitz for council, to hear what she had to say about all this.

"I have no comment," Priga said.

We asked if her if she was still going to run with Krawitz for the position.

"I am running. I have no comment. Thank you," Priga said.

In a statement, Olivia Nuzzi said:

Meanwhile, the public was weighing in, as well.

"I think that's pretty rude. I think if anyone else would put that up there, they would probably get charged for harassment or anything else. I don't think we want this person in our city council," Teresa Alicea of West Deptford said.

WPVI reached out to the West Deptford Republican Club for comment, but have not heard back.

Their website still lists Joann Priga and Mike Krawitz as candidates.

The Facebook pages for Krawitz and the West Deptford GOP were both down Tuesday.