4 Indicted In Probe That Involved Morristown First Lady

MORRISTOWN, NJ — Four people were indicted for a bribery scheme connected to Morristown's first lady, according to the Office of Attorney General. Mary Dougherty, a former Morris County freeholder candidate, was not indicted but continues to face a charge for second-degree bribery.

All five former public officials and political candidates were initially charged December 2019. The OAG accused them of taking thousands of dollars in bribes from the cooperating witness — a tax attorney — in the form of campaign contributions.

In return, the defendants promised the cooperating witness they would vote or use their official authority to hire or continue to hire his law firm for lucrative government legal work, authorities said.

An attorney for Dougherty did not immediately return comment. Neither did Morristown Mayor Tim Dougherty, but he has defended his wife since her allegations emerged.

"[She is] a woman of unquestionable character and I have no doubt that
the process now underway will demonstrate that," Tim Dougherty told Morristown Green.

The following were charged in four separate indictments between Jan. 20 and Feb. 3:

Sudhan Thomas, former Jersey City School Board president

• Official misconduct (second-degree)
• Pattern of official misconduct (second-degree)
• Bribery in official and political matters (second-degree)
• Acceptance or receipt of unlawful benefit by public servant (second-degree)

Jason O'Donnell, former state assemblyman and former Bayonne mayoral candidate

• Bribery in official and political matters (second-degree)

John Cesaro, of Parsippany, former Morris County freeholder

• Official misconduct (second-degree)
• Bribery in official and political matters (second-degree)
• Acceptance or receipt of unlawful benefit by public servant (second-degree)
• Tampering with public records or information (third-degree)
• Falsifying or tampering with records (fourth-degree)
• Concealment or misrepresentation of contributions or expenditures (fourth-degree)

John Windish, former Mount Arlington council member

• Official misconduct (second-degree)
• Bribery in official and political matters (second-degree)
• Acceptance or receipt of unlawful benefit by public servant (second-degree)

Mary Dougherty, a real estate agent in Morristown, accepted a bribe of $10,000 from the cooperating witness, according to OAG records. In return, she promised to support his re-appointment as Morris County's counsel, authorities said.

During a meeting in a restaurant, she accepted $10,000 cash in $100 denominations that the cooperating witness delivered in a takeout coffee cup, the OAG said. Dougherty later returned the cash and asked the cooperating witness to send four checks — each within the $2,600 individual-donor limit, authorities said.

They met in the same restaurant, where Dougherty accepted four checks from "straw donors" — people reimbursed to write checks to each defendant's campaign — the OAG said.

New Jersey's attorney general claims Dougherty and the cooperating witness met in the same restaurant for the transaction and had the following exchange:

CW: “These are my straws… so I just need your support for my reappointment. Don’t forget me.”

Dougherty: “I won’t. I promise. A friend is a friend, my friend.”

The alleged misconduct occurred between August and October 2018. Dougherty and the other two Democratic candidates lost the freeholder election to three Republicans.

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