Queens GOP expunges photos of NYC Council candidate with alleged Capitol rioter from social media
The Queens Republican Party recently scrubbed its social media profiles of photos featuring its most prominent City Council candidate rubbing shoulders with a man who allegedly participated in January’s far-right attack on the U.S. Capitol, the Daily News has learned.
Joann Ariola — who serves as the Queens GOP’s chairwoman and is vying to succeed Councilman Eric Ulrich, the borough’s only elected Republican — used to be pictured in several photos on the party’s Facebook and Twitter handles with Philip Grillo, a local organizer arrested by the FBI for storming the Capitol on Jan. 6 with hundreds of other supporters of former President Donald Trump.
But at least three of those pictures were deleted shortly after Ariola’s June 22 primary victory.
Cache data shows the party’s Facebook page on July 3 deleted a photo from July 1, 2019 of Ariola and Grillo at that year’s state GOP convention. In the since-deleted picture, a screen grab of which was obtained by The News, Grillo and Ariola are standing shoulder to shoulder behind a banner that says “QUEENS” while flashing their thumbs up for the camera.
Screen grabs and cache data show the party also recently deleted an entire July 1, 2019 post from its Twitter account that featured the same thumbs-up photo as well as a second picture from the convention featuring Grillo, Ariola, state GOP Chairman Nick Langworthy and Queens Republican organizer Robert Speranza.
The second photo of all four Republicans was never deleted from the party’s Facebook page and is still viewable there.
Ariola said she did not know who deleted the photos of her and Grillo.
“I’m not the only one with access to those accounts,” she said.
The chairwoman also claimed the deletions may have been a mistake, noting there’s still one photo on the Facebook handle of her and Grillo.
“There is really no reason for one photo, but not another, to be deliberately deleted,” she said.
Federal prosecutors say Grillo entered the Capitol through a smashed window on Jan. 6 with hordes of other pro-Trump insurrections in a violent bid to prevent lawmakers from certifying President Biden’s election.
Four rioters died during the attack, and a Capitol Police officer who was pepper-sprayed in the melee suffered two strokes the next day that resulted in his death. More than 100 officers were wounded, and four cops who responded to the riot have since committed suicide.
Grillo’s case on charges of criminal trespassing, obstruction of an official proceeding and other offenses is still pending in federal court in Washington.
Despite Grillo’s alleged role in the insurrection, he still serves as the Queens Republican Party’s leader for the borough’s 24th Assembly District, according to its website.
Ariola said she’s “very vocal about not condoning what took place” on Jan. 6, but defended the decision to let Grillo keep his post.
“He has not been convicted of anything,” she said. “Mr. Grillo is entitled to his day in court, and I think depending on the disposition from the court, we will then take action.”
Grillo did not respond to a request for comment.
The removal of photos featuring Grillo comes as Ariola is gearing up for a fight for her party’s political existence.
If Ariola’s bid to represent the 32nd Council District fails, there won’t be a single elected Republican left in Queens, making the race especially important for the borough’s GOP.
Running against Ariola in the Nov. 2 general election is progressive Democrat Felicia Singh, who has been endorsed by Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez’s super PAC and other left-wing groups.
Singh said she believes whoever deleted the photos of Grillo and Ariola did so with an agenda in mind.
“It’s clear my opponent is aware of the implications of being a Trump Republican in this city, in this district, at this moment,” Singh said. “She is providing a dishonest representation of herself to voters. Democrats outnumber Republicans significantly in this district, and by hiding who she is it is an acknowledgment that she can’t win if voters know the truth about her history and alliances.”
