A political operative admitted in court to illegally petitioning a candidate to challenge Gov. Phil Murphy’s reelection during the 2021 gubernatorial election, the state Attorney General’s Office said announced Wednesday.
James J. Devine, 62, of Lambertville, pleaded guilty Monday during a hearing in Superior Court of Mercer County to an offense concerning nomination certificates or petitions, which is a third-degree crime.
Devine avoids prison with the plea bargain. State prosecutors will ask a judge to sentence Devine to two years of probation when he is sentenced on Oct. 18.
Devine did not immediately respond to a text message seeking comment.
He admitted submitting 1,948 fraudulent nominating petitions via email to the state’s Division of Elections, in an attempt to enable his candidate - Lisa McCormick - to appear on the Democratic gubernatorial primary ballot.
Devine’s scheme did not work.
The New Jersey Democratic State Committee formally challenged Devine’s effort in April 2021, two months before the primary election, objecting that the petitions he provided weren’t authentic. A judge that month removed McCormick from the gubernatorial ticket.
Murphy later was named the Democratic nominee for governor, winning a second term that November by defeating Republican challenger Jack Ciattarelli.
New Jersey Attorney General Matthew Platkin on Wednesday considered the plea important to reassuring election security at a time of questions of integrity from the political realm.
“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 in a statement. “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.”
The case was investigated by the New Jersey Office of Public Integrity and Accountability.
“The defendant in this case has now admitted to fraudulently trying to get a candidate on the primary ballot for governor,” Drew Skinner, the OPIA’s executive director, said in the statement. “Anyone who might try to cheat our democratic system should know: we will hold you accountable.”
Devine’s political career spans from local to presidential elections. He notoriously gained a national spotlight when he used #HuntRepublicans on social media after a gunman shot four people at a Republican congressional baseball team practice in 2017.
McCormick, meanwhile, frequently has been a candidate in recent elections. Her tries for public office include runs for the New Jersey Legislature, the U.S. Congress and governor. She is also from Lambertville.
She likely is remembered for testing now-former U.S. Sen. Bob Menendez in a run for his U.S. Senate seat in 2018, collecting support from 4 out of 10 Democratic voters.
Stories by Eric Conklin
- Reporter Karin Price Mueller contributed to this story.
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Eric Conklin may be reached at econklin@njadvancemedia.com.