Political consultant admits filing false nominating petitions, attorney general says
Attorney General Matt Platkin said it’s critical for law enforcement to ensure that efforts to tamper with our elections are investigated and prosecuted. (Dana DiFilippo | New Jersey Monitor)
A political consultant admitted to filing nominating petitions with more than 1,900 fraudulent signatures in his quest to get a candidate on the gubernatorial ballot in 2021, Attorney General Matt Platkin announced Wednesday.
James Devine pleaded guilty to charges that he submitted fraudulent nominating petitions on behalf of Lisa McCormick, a Democrat and perennial candidate who has previously launched campaigns for U.S. Senate, the House of Representatives, and New Jersey’s governorship.
“For the public to have faith in our elections, it’s critical for law enforcement to ensure that efforts to tamper with them are investigated and prosecuted,” Platkin said. “This defendant’s plea is a testament to my office’s commitment to fair elections and to holding bad actors accountable when they attempt to taint our democratic system.”
A judge must still approve Devine’s plea deal. The charge he pleaded guilty to carries penalties of up to five years imprisonment and a maximum fine of $15,000, though prosecutors recommended Devine, 62, be sentenced to two years of probation.
Authorities accused Devine of filing roughly 1,948 fraudulent signatures to get McCormick onto the ballot as a contender for the 2021 Democratic gubernatorial nomination.
The Democratic State Committee challenged McCormick’s nominating petitions, noting voters purported to have signed them said they never did. The signatures included some belonging to dead voters. Others had misspelled names or addresses, and in one instance form fields appeared in place of a voter’s name.
An administrative law judge ordered McCormick to be removed from the ballot in mid-April 2021.
Authorities said their investigation revealed Devine uploaded false voter information to the petition forms before submitting them to state election officials.
“The defendant in this case has now admitted to fraudulently trying to get a candidate on the primary ballot for governor,” said Drew Skinner, executive director of Platkin’s public integrity and accountability office. “Anyone who might try to cheat our democratic system should know: We will hold you accountable.”
McCormick mounted a write-in campaign for the nomination but failed to gain measurable support.
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