Cory Booker, mayor of Newark, is a rising star in national politics. As such, there are opportunists that may want to share the limelight.
Last Saturday news agency EFE reported that Ricardo Patiño, the Ecuadorian Minister of Foreign Affairs, Trade and Integration, received the keys to the city of Newark from mayor Cory Booker.
EFE quoted “diplomatic sources” (meaning, Patiño’s press release) saying that mayor Booker awarded the keys for Patiño’s “work and efforts” on behalf of the thousands od Ecuadorians living in the area.
There’s only one problem: It isn’t true.
Cory Booker was in Los Angeles.
15 hrs in LA – on plane now headed home. Can’t wait. RT @randoman00: Newark is looking splendid today from the turnpike.
— Cory Booker (@CoryBooker) February 2, 2013
There’s even a photo of him at LAX,
@corybooker great meeting you at LAX!Count me and @askecoed to support you for #senate twitter.com/MrsEcoEd/statu…
— Julie Tung (@MrsEcoEd) February 2, 2013
I called mayor Booker’s office, and his very courteous staff confirmed that Mr. Booker indeed was in Los Angeles last Saturday, and he has not awarded the keys to the city to Patiño.
Obviously I wasn’t the only one asking. Ecuadorian website Ecuador en vivo reports that Patiño’s original press release announcing the event has now been deleted.
