The mayor of Atlantic City says a police raid on his home was a "political" attack related to a "private family issue."
Mayor Marty Small held a news conference on Monday and said it was not related to a crime, despite laptops and cell phones being taken.
The Atlantic County Prosecutor's Office executed five search warrants last Thursday naming the mayor and his wife, LaQuetta Small, the city's superintendent of schools, the Associated Press reported.
Small said he and his wife have been interacting with state child welfare authorities and have nothing to hide.
"We're going through family therapy, and that's what this should be, a family matter," he said.
Officers reportedly seized two of Small's phones and some laptops, his attorney said.
Small described the raid as "very aggressive."
We did not deserve that," the mayor said. "I had nothing to hide."
"A lot of politics going on... because they know they can't beat me in an election," Small said, according to the New York Post.
The Atlantic County Prosecutor's Office released a statement after the mayor made the allegations.
"The men and women of this office involved in the search conducted themselves in the highest professional manner," the release stated. "Standard operating procedures and protocols in executing residential search warrants were utilized to ensure the safety of all occupants of the residence, neighbors, and law enforcement alike."
The statement went on to say, "Both Mayor Small and Dr. Small were treated with dignity and respect during the entire process."
The raid on the mayor's home came the same day the county prosecutor announced charges against the principal of Atlantic City High School for allegedly failing to report child abuse and related charges.
