Jersey City councilperson at-large Amy DeGise under pressure to resign after being accused in hit-and-run
JERSEY CITY, N.J. -- There were more calls for an embattled Jersey City councilmember to resign Wednesday night.
Amy DeGise is accused in a hit-and-run, and the whole thing was caught on video.
One after the other, dozens and dozens of Jersey City residents pleaded with DeGise to resign her at-large council seat at Wednesday's council meeting.
"Amy DeGise, if you truly care about the people of this city and their health and safety, you must resign and do it now. Resign now. Thank you," one person said.
"We are asking you to please step down," another said.
As CBS2's Nick Caloway reports, DeGise, for her part, faced her critics but remained silent as the scrutiny piled on.
"Our city has had local, state, national and international spotlight for all of the wrong reasons," one person said.
"A hit-and-run is completely inexcusable conduct by anyone, much less an elected official," another said.
DeGise is accused of hitting a cyclist with her car in July without stopping or even slowing down.
The man on the bike, Andrew Black, is clearly seen running the red light before he is allegedly hit by DeGise's SUV. He was injured but survived.
DeGise was later issued two summonses for leaving the scene and failing to report the accident until six hours later.
Fellow councilmember James Solomon is among those calling for DeGise to step down from her position of power.
"Everybody makes mistakes. Everybody deserves forgiveness, deserves their day in court. However, we have to hold public servants to a higher standard," he said. "We ask for accountability. That's the core thing. When voters see that the politically connected aren't held accountable for their actions, it breeds cynicism, anger and distrust. And that's why I think she should resign, so the Jersey City City Council can try to maintain trust with our constituents and our residents."
One council member told CBS2 that if DeGise doesn't resign, then residents could try to force a recall election, but that would require tens of thousands of signatures from Jersey City residents.
Late Wednesday, DeGise did address the council chambers, saying she would have more to say as the legal process plays out and she does not plan to resign.
