Ex-Perth Amboy councilman wrote fake news post about Lesniak death

Patch.com has identified Ken Balut, a former Perth Amboy council president and police officer, as the author of a January 2022 fake post reporting that the investigation into murderer Sean Caddle has led to a renewed investigation into the death of former State Sen. Raymond Lesniak’s wife, Selena.

Lesniak filed a defamation lawsuit against Patch, an online local news company, for falsely implying that the former lawmaker was responsible for his wife’s death.

The Flemington Patch carried a story headlined, “Lesniak minion’s murder plot kindles interest in wife’s death,” under the byline “Kendra McIntire, Neighbor.” But a search of public records, including voter registration and online phone directories, show nobody in New Jersey under the name Kendra McIntire.  A search of Patch.com shows no other articles using that byline.

Earlier this year, Patch settled the lawsuit by identifying Balut, who has been added as a defendant in Lesniak’s lawsuit.

“We’re going to soon find out if Mr. Balut was the only one involved in the defamatory article or whether he had help,” Lesniak said.

Balut told the New Jersey Globe that he didn’t know anything about the Patch story until he was served with the lawsuit on Monday.

“I don’t even own a computer.  I did not author anything,” he said.  “I’m Barney Rubble.  I can’t do anything on the computer.”

He said at the time the story appeared on Patch, he was in Florida “taking care of my dying sister.”

Balut’s story resembles other articles posted on the internet by political gremlin James Devine, who had worked on Balut’s 2008 campaign for a city council seat. Devine has a history of writing under pseudonyms.  But at this point, Devine is only a suspect in the civil suit.

Balut said he no longer has a relationship with Devine.

“He’s an idiot.  I have nothing to do with him.  All he did was get my ass in trouble,” Balut said.  “I’m getting set up.  I don’t know Raymond Lesniak.”

Devine, the controversial life partner of shadowy perennial candidate Lisa McCormick, is now facing criminal charges after the attorney general accused him of filing entirely fake nominating petitions for the 2021 gubernatorial primary.  He is currently appealing his rejection into the state’s pre-trial intervention program, which would allow Devine to avoid prison.

Court records confirm that Balut has now been served in the civil action.

Balut was a controversial figure in Perth Amboy – in 2009, he announced a challenge to Gov. Jon Corzine in the Democratic primary but never filed his petitions – and eventually split from his onetime ally,  Mayor Wilda Diaz.

A former New Jersey Democratic State Chairman, Lesniak served in the state legislature for 44 years before giving up his seat to run for governor in 2017.