The longtime Morristown law partner of the central figure in a state political corruption probe has been offered a sweeter deal that offers probation instead of prison, in exchange for a guilty plea, according to virtual court testimony on Tuesday.
Elizabeth Valandingham will consider the state Attorney General’s proposal, revised from three years in jail to one year on probation, defense attorney Matthew Iacullo told Superior Court Judge Robert Hanna via Zoom.
“It’s a very detailed offer,” Iacullo said, asking for time to study it. “It is a very important decision for Elizabeth, and there’s just a couple of terms and conditions that we want to speak to the Attorney General about.”
Valandingham, 47, faces up to 10 years in prison and $150,000 in fines if convicted of dodging campaign finance laws to secure lucrative municipal contracts.
She allegedly helped procure nearly $600,000 in legal work from Bloomfield and Mt. Arlington for Matt O’Donnell’s firm after falsely stating the firm made no donations to candidates in those towns.
Some $45,000 in contributions were made, by “straw donors”–friends and relatives reimbursed by the firm, state authorities contend. Valandingham’s sister, brother-in-law and three others also were charged in the alleged scheme.
Valandingham has denied the accusations against her.
Separately, five political figures from Morris and Hudson counties–including former Morris freeholder candidate Mary Dougherty, wife of Morristown Mayor Tim Dougherty–were charged with taking bribes from an unnamed “cooperating witness” known to be O’Donnell.
Mary Dougherty, 60, pleaded guilty last month to falsifying a campaign finance report. In return, the state is recommending probation and $10,000 in restitution. She also may be barred from holding government jobs and seeking public office.
Four others– a former Morris freeholder, a former Mt. Arlington councilman, a former state Assemblyman from Bayonne, and a former president of the Jersey City school board–are under indictment and face trials.
O’Donnell’s Morristown law office has closed, and he has not answered repeated requests for comment. A lawyer for the Bayonne defendant intends to challenge the state’s use of O’Donnell in the sting operation.
DOWNGRADED CHARGE
Valandingham, known by local roller derby fans as “Lawless Lizzie,” was charged last June with making a false representation for a government contract, and misconduct by a corporate official. Both are second-degree offenses. The contracts in question spanned from 2013 to 2017.
She rejected an offer last summer from the state Attorney General’s office calling for three years in prison, in exchange for pleading guilty to the false representation charge.
Now, the state will recommend a year’s probation if Valandingham pleads to a downgraded charge of tampering with public records, a third-degree crime, Deputy Attorney General John Nicodemo told Judge Hanna on Tuesday.
Other conditions from the August 2020 offer remain in place, Nicodemo said.
At that time, the state proposed dropping the misconduct charge if Valandingham surrendered her law license, accepted a 10-year ban on seeking public contracts, and paid a $250,000 public corruption profiteering penalty.
She also would have to waive any application to Pretrial Intervention, a program enabling first-time offenders to clear their criminal records.
Valandingham participated in Tuesday’s videoconference via telephone, but made no statements.
The judge scheduled a hearing for next month, advising Iacullo “the defense remains free to argue for a lesser sentence.”
Sorry, Matthew, but you’re off the mark.
This case was handled by the Attorney General’s Office, not the Morris County Prosecutor’s Office. They are separate and distinct agencies, and the Morris County Prosecutor’s Office has no say in how the Attorney General’s Office handles its cases.
Well this is disgraceful,but that what happens when the Morristown Mayor sister is
an assistant prosecutor in the county
No jail for all of the
Laws she broke ?
Ridiculous . Shame on the attorney general and the Judge !