The Associated Press is reporting that former Bogota Mayor Steve Lonegan was arrested Saturday minutes before Gov. Jon Corzine was to begin a public meeting promoting his toll increase plan.

Lonegan told the AP that he was outside the Middle Township High School in Cape May County handing out pamphlets with radio personality Seth Grossman and other Corzine opponents when they were confronted by police.

"The police officer said the governor doesn't want you handing out literature," explained Lonegan, who told AP he did not think that Corzine was responsible for his arrest.

"We were told that this was private property," Lonegan said. "This was an all-out attack on freedom of speech."

After being handcuffed and taken to police headquarters, Lonegan and Grossman were issued summons' for defiant trespass and given a Jan. 31 date for Municipal Court before being released.

"The governor's office had absolutely nothing to do with this," Corzine spokeswoman Lilo Stainton told the AP. "The governor has obviously been eager to hear from all members of the public and will continue to do so."