Global Navigation
Office of The Attorney General
The State of New Jersey Office of The Attorney General (Dept. of Law & Public Safety) The State of New Jersey NJ Home Services A to Z Departments/Agencies OAG Frequently Asked Questions
Services A to Z Departments/Agencies OAG Frequently Asked Questions
OAG Home
OAG Contact
spacer
Back to News Releases
OAG Home Attorney General's Biography
Attorney General's Biography
spacer spacer spacer
   
 
spacer spacer spacer
spacer spacer spacer
For Immediate Release: For Further Information:
October 17, 2018

Office of The Attorney General
- Gurbir S. Grewal, Attorney General
Division of Criminal Justice
- Veronica Allende, Director
Media Inquiries-
Peter Aseltine
609-292-4791
spacer
Citizen Inquiries-
609-984-5828
spacer
spacer spacer spacer
spacer
Haddon Township Commissioner Pleads Guilty to Criminal Charge for Accepting Unlawful Referral Fee Related to Lawsuit Against Township
Paul Dougherty is forfeiting his position and will be permanently barred from public office
spacer
spacer spacer spacer
spacer
Click on image to enlarge
spacer
spacer spacer spacer
spacer

TRENTON –Attorney General Gurbir S. Grewal announced that Haddon Township Commissioner Paul Dougherty pleaded guilty today to a criminal charge that he unlawfully accepted a referral fee from a law firm in connection with a lawsuit against the township. He referred a township police officer to the firm for purposes of suing the township, despite the clear conflict of interest involving his position as commissioner.

Dougherty, 48, of Haddon Township, N.J., an attorney who serves as municipal prosecutor in several towns in Camden and Burlington counties, pleaded guilty today to an accusation charging him with third-degree conspiracy to confer an unlawful benefit on a public official before Superior Court Judge Edward J. McBride Jr. in Camden County. Under the plea agreement, the state will recommend that Dougherty be sentenced to a term of probation. As a result of the plea, Dougherty forfeited his position as a township commissioner and is permanently barred from public office and public employment in New Jersey. Dougherty has served on the elected three-member commission since 2007.

Deputy Attorney General Brian Uzdavinis prosecuted Dougherty and took the guilty plea for the Division of Criminal Justice Corruption Bureau. Sentencing for Dougherty is scheduled for Dec. 14.

Dougherty was contacted in 2013 by a Haddon Township police officer who was having issues with her superiors and had just been suspended. The officer asked Dougherty for help with the suspension and Dougherty, despite the clear conflict of interest presented by his status as a township commissioner, told her that she had the basis for a lawsuit against the township. He then referred her to a law firm which sued the township on her behalf, obtaining a $48,000 settlement for her in 2015. The law firm, which received approximately $21,000 in legal fees, subsequently paid Dougherty a referral fee of $7,106, which he accepted. Dougherty returned the fee to the law firm after he learned that he was under investigation by the Division of Criminal Justice.

The investigation was conducted by detectives of the Division of Criminal Justice Corruption Bureau.  It began with a referral from the Camden County Prosecutor’s Office.


Defense Attorney: Edward J. Crisonino, Esq., Westmont, N.J.


Follow the New Jersey Attorney General’s Office online at Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, Flicker & YouTube. The social media links provided are for reference only. The New Jersey Attorney General’s Office does not endorse any non-governmental websites, companies or applications.

spacer
spacer spacer spacer
spacer
 
News Index Page I top
 
Executive Assistant Attorney General
Attorney General's Message Ask the Attorney General
Contact OAG About OAG
OAG News OAG Frequently Asked Questions
OAG Library Employment
OAG Grants Proposed Rules
OAG History OAG Services A-Z
Statutes
OAG Agencies / Programs / Units
Other News Pages Otras Noticias en Español Division of NJ State Police Division of Law News Governor's Office News Division of Highway Traffic Safety News Office of the Insurance Fraud Prosecutor Juvenile Justice Commission News Division on Civil Rights News Division of Consumer Affairs News Division of Criminal Justice News Election Law Enforcement Commission Division of Gaming Enforcement News
NJ State Police News Governor's Office News Division of Highway Traffic Safety News Office of the Insurance Fraud Prosecutor Juvenile Justice Commission News Division on Civil Rights News Division of Consumer Affairs News Division of Criminal Justice News Election Law Enforcement Commission Division of Elections News Division of Gaming Enforcement News Office of Government Integrity News
   
Contact Us | Privacy Notice | Legal Statement | Accessibility Statement
NJ Home Logo
Departmental: OAG Home | Contact OAG | About OAG | OAG News | OAG FAQs
Statewide: NJ Home | Services A to Z | Departments/Agencies | FAQs
Copyright © State of New Jersey
This page is maintained by OAG Communications. Comments/Questions: email or call 609-292-4925
OAG Home OAG Home NJ State Police News Governor's Office News Division of Highway Traffic Safety News Office of the Insurance Fraud Prosecutor Juvenile Justice Commission News Division on Civil Rights News Division of Consumer Affairs News Division of Criminal Justice News Election Law Enforcement Commission Division of Elections News Division of Gaming Enforcement News Office of Government Integrity News Click to Enlarge Image Click to Enlarge Image Click to Enlarge Graphic Click to enlarge chart Click to enlarge map Click to Enlarge Click to Enlarge Click to Enlarge Click to Enlarge Click to Enlarge Click to Enlarge Click to Enlarge Click to Enlarge Click to Enlarge Click to Enlarge Click to Enlarge Click to Enlarge Click to Enlarge Click to Enlarge Click to Enlarge Click to Enlarge Click to Enlarge Click to Enlarge Click to Enlarge Click to Enlarge Click to Enlarge Click to Enlarge Click on image to enlarge... Click on image to enlarge... Click to enlarge...Click to enlarge...Click to enlarge...Click to enlarge... Click to enlarge... click to enlargeclick to enlargeclick to enlargeclick to enlargeclick to enlargeclick to enlargeclick to enlargeclick to enlargeclick to enlargeclick to enlargeclick to enlargeclick to enlargeclick to enlargeclick to enlargeclick to enlargeclick to enlargeclick to enlargeclick to enlarge click to enlarge