Morristown First Lady Pleads Guilty To Falsifying Election Report

MORRISTOWN, NJ — Morristown First Lady Mary Dougherty pleaded guilty Friday to filing a false report in connection with an illegal campaign contribution she received. The state dropped former Morris County freeholder candidate's bribery charge and will recommend probation for the lesser violation.

Dougherty admitted to the fourth-degree crime before Superior Court Judge Stephen J. Taylor in Morris County. Under the plea agreement, she must also forfeit the $10,000 contribution.

Sentencing is set for March 18.

"We believe this is a fair resolution in her case," said a spokesperson for the Office of Attorney General, which led the investigation.

Matthew Beck, Dougherty's attorney, sent Patch the following statement:

"We are grateful that the state was willing to reevaluate its case and agreed earlier today to dismiss the bribery charge against Mary. As part of that same proceeding, Mary did accept responsibility for an error in judgement that she made in connection with a filing she submitted as part of her unsuccessful 2018 campaign. This action on Mary’s part brings her closer to putting this matter behind her and allowing her and her family to move forward."

Dougherty was charged December 2019 with second-degree bribery stemming from her 2018 candidacy for the county seat. She was one of five defendants charged in a state investigation focused on political figures in Hudson and Morris counties who solicited illegal campaign donations from a cooperating witness — a tax attorney — according to the Office of Attorney General.

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.

The other four defendants — all former public officials and political candidates — were indicted between Jan. 20 and Feb. 3. Read more: 4 Indicted In Probe That Involved Morristown First Lady

Dougherty, a real estate agent in Morristown, fell short in the 2018 freeholder election. She is Morristown Mayor Tim Dougherty's wife.

Case Background

During a meeting in a restaurant, Dougherty 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."

Dougherty was among five former public officials and candidates charged December 2019 in the corruption investigation. The other four were indicted in the past month on the following charges:

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)

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