A high-ranking Jersey City official now running to be a town mayor has been reassigned after humiliating footage showed him using his position to try to get off a drunk-driving arrest — and admitting to cheating on his wife.
Phillip Orphanidis — who is currently running to be the mayor of West Orange, NJ — was working as deputy chief of staff to former Jersey City Mayor Steven Fulop when he was questioned last fall over his Cadillac SUV crashing into another car.
“I’m the f–king deputy chief of staff of Jersey City,” he arrogantly told officers before he was handcuffed for refusing to follow orders and hauled away in a police car.
One of the cops replies sarcastically, “You can be the f–cking president, you’re still drunk.”
The video, released by current Jersey City Mayor James Solomon, shows Orphanidis telling officers he’d had two drinks while repeatedly denying being drunk, despite them calling him “heavily intoxicated.”
He also name-dropped that he worked for “Steve,” referring to the outgoing mayor, and demanded they call the city’s director of public safety “right now.”
“We hired all of you,” he tells one arresting officer at one point. “We hired more cops than any other f—king administration. It’s not fair and you know it!”
Shockingly, he also decides to tell the officers that he cheated on his wife with “two women.”
“My wife hates me. I f–king cheated on her and she f–king hates me, bro,” he said.
He later whines that his boss was going to be angry at him and suggests he was politically targeted by police over Fulop’s failed gubernatorial bid months earlier.
“This is f–king bulls–t. Steve Fulop doesn’t f–king win the election. And f–king this?” Orphanidis told an officer.
Orphanidis’ meltdown continued at the police station, where he was difficult with officers and refused to take a breathalyzer test.
“If I’m any county politician in Jersey City, then I get f–king off,” Orphanidis said. “If I’m any elected official in the State of New Jersey that f–king does this, I get off.”
Orphanidis was charged with assault by auto, driving under the influence, refusal to submit to a chemical test, driving with an expired license and driving without insurance.
He is scheduled to appear in court later this month — even as his campaign for mayor of West Orange, a township of about 50,000 people 12 miles west of Manhattan, appears to be forging ahead.
The shocking footage was obtained by current Jersey City Mayor Solomon, whose administration has “initiated an expedited investigation with an independent law firm to review the potential abuse of power and potential misconduct demonstrated in these videos,” his rep, Nathaniel Styer, said Tuesday.
Orphanidis has been reassigned from his position as the assistant director of community development to animal care and control as the investigation continues. He’ll continue earning his $103,000 salary.
He posted on X this week that he has been canvassing and gaining support in the mayoral race, according to the West Orange Dispatch. His X account has since been switched to “private.”
Phone calls to Orphanidis were not immediately returned Wednesday morning.