JACKSON TOWNSHIP, NJ – Jackson Township lawyers, under the guidance of chief legal counsel Greg McGuckin, whose law firm Dasti, McGucking & Murphy also serves as the Lakewood Zoning Board attorney has lost twice this week in federal court. Jackson Township filed two motions to block a lawsuit filed by Jackson Trails, a controversial building application that was denied by the township planning board, despite having prior approvals before it was known to be an Orthodox Jewish developer now building the development. A federal judge rejected two motions to dismiss the lawsuit. A judge declared that Jackson Trails can continue a federal lawsuit of religious discrimination against the township in federal court, but sent a second claim back to state courts, allowing Judge Mark Troncone to preside over the COAH lawsuit filed by Jackson Trails. This is another loss for McGuckin who represents Jackson Township since being appointed chief legal counsel for the town by Mayor Michael Reina.
This week, it was also revealed that Reina, who had previously been sued in federal court by U.S. Attorney William Barr is now one of several targets of an FBI investigation into Jackson Township, which could possibly result in future criminal charges. The FBI investigation and inquiry is being headed by Agent Sean McCarthy, the lead agent on the federal case against former Jackson Township attorney George Gilmore.
Also today, it became known that the New Jersey Attorney General’s Office has officially launched an investigation into matters involving McGuckin in Toms River. A 20,000 page document request was made last week by the state Department of Labor looking into political corruption in Toms River.