something is wrong . . . you are duty bound to challenge that procedure, particularly when you know it is wrong," he said. In August 1999, LeRoy Jones Jr. was one of fifteen Assembly members and five state senators who made up the "New Jersey Legislative Black and Latino Caucus". On April 13, 20 and 27, 1999, the Caucus held regional public hearings - in Trenton, Newark and Blackwood and in August 1999 produce a report titled, "A Report on Discriminatory Practices Within the New Jersey State Police". In preparation for the hearings, the Caucus established a toll-free telephone number to enable the public to report incidents of abuse of power by the State Police. Hundreds of telephone calls were received from persons who were either victims of, or witnesses to racial profiling. Redistricting following the 2000 United States census put both Gill and Jones in the 34th Legislative District. In 2001, Jones unsuccessfully ran for Mayor of East Orange. In the 2003 primaries for the district's seat in the New Jersey Senate, Jones was given the party line opposing Gill. Despite outspending Gill in the heavily Democratic district, Gill won with 55% of the vote. Jones is the Democratic Chairman of both East Orange and Essex County. In 2002, Jones was elected to serve as the East Orange Democratic Municipal Committee Chairman which is a position he still holds today. In October 2013, Jones was elected as Essex County Democratic Chairman, following the death of Phil Thigpen. Jones served as the Essex County Campaign Director for Governor Jon Corzine's 2009 re-election campaign, where he helped lead Governor Corzine to one the largest Democratic vote pluralities in the history of New Jersey. He also served as Co-Campaign Chairman for Essex County Executive Joseph DiVincenzo. In 2012, Jones was appointed by New Jersey Assembly Speaker Shelia Oliver as a Commissioner of the New Jersey Sports and Exposition Authority. Controversy In June 2015, Jones was charged with misdemeanor simple assault after allegedly punching a poll worker on primary election day in June, in an incident that was recorded on video. Jones stated that he had come down to the polling place to confront the poll worker, who had been in an argument with Jones' wife, who was also there as a poll worker at that location. But Jones had an explanation. 'This man threatened my wife,' Jones said. 'This man assaulted my