The news is troubling to some Hoboken officials.
“Since last summer, Councilman Michael DeFusco has notably been absent from Hoboken – absent from signing-up seniors for vaccines, absent from volunteering in the community, absent from supporting our struggling small businesses, and absent from certain City Council meetings and several community meetings, Council members Jim Doyle, Emily Jabbour, and Phil Cohen said in a joint statement.
"Now, we know why...
"As elected officials, we’ve been doing our jobs representing our constituents, safely and in-person when appropriate and safe to do so, helping our City recover from the pandemic.
"At a bare minimum, Michael owes his constituents a full and complete accounting as to why he’s been an absentee Councilman, with overseas travel to COVID-19 hot-spots during the height of the pandemic. If he’s unable to do so, perhaps he should no longer serve on the City Council."