Authorities are looking into whether Brookdale Community College trustee Joseph DiBella's Twitter account was compromised
MIDDLETOWN -- A college trustee denied he was responsible for "liking" several racist posts on a social media website.
Joseph DiBella Brookdale Community College trustee Joseph DiBella told APP.com that his Twitter account @josephmdibella was "likely hacked."
DiBella or someone posing as the former Republican Howell mayor liked posts that used racial epithets against President Obama and activist Rev. Al Sharpton. Another post questioning whether Democratic presidential nominee Hillary Clinton is a woman was also liked by DiBella's account.
A like next to a post on Twitter is generally accepted to indicate support for whatever is expressed in the tweet.
DiBella notified the Monmouth County Prosecutor's Office, which is investigating whether someone tampered with his account, according to APP.com.
He admitted he wrote other tweets critical of Clinton and Obama.
DiBella has since protected his account, meaning his Twitter activity is only visible to his approximately 7,100 followers.
The 47-year-old is an executive at Conner Strong & Buckelew, a national insurance advisory. DiBella formerly worked for Horizon Blue Cross/Blue Shield and served on the board of education and borough council in Sayreville, according to his Brookdale bio.
The Brookdale position is unpaid.
Jeff Goldman may be reached at jeff_goldman@njadvancemedia.com. Follow him on Twitter @JeffSGoldman. Find NJ.com on Facebook.