TOMS RIVER, N.J. – They say politics makes strange bedfellows. In Toms River, former Republican Mayor Maurice “Mo” Hill is being represented by Kevin Starkey, a Toms River attorney with longstanding ties to Democratic-controlled Brick Township, in litigation stemming from the township’s case against Silverton First Aid Squad and former Council President Kevin Geoghegan.
Former Toms River Mayor Mo Hill is expected to testify on behalf of Geoghegan, defending him against the township’s lawsuit as a key witness, but he will have one of the county’s top Democrat pay-to-play lawfirms at his side.
Initially, Hill sought to have the township pay for his legal defense, but objections by town attorneys sided with the township. Hill will have to pay his own legal defense since his testimony is not as a witness to the township, but allegedly as a star witness and possible accomplice for the defense.
The choice puts another political connection into a lawsuit already involving former allies from Hill’s administration. Toms River Township is suing Silverton EMS and Geoghegan, a retired Toms River police officer who served as council president during Hill’s tenure.
Starkey is a partner at Starkey, Kelly, Kenneally, Cunningham, Turnbach & Yannone, a Toms River law firm. Public Brick Township Council records identify Starkey as township attorney alongside Democratic Mayor Lisa Crate and the township council, a position he has held since Democrats gained control of the township.
Starkey’s Brick Township Role Adds Political Twist
Brick records show Starkey’s municipal work predates the current dispute. A 2023 Brick Township reorganization record shows the council appointing Starkey, Kelly, Kenneally, Cunningham & Turnbach as township attorney, while municipal records also identify Starkey individually as township attorney.
The firm has another familiar name in Toms River politics: Terrance L. Turnbach, a former Democratic Toms River councilman.
Turnbach served on the council during Hill’s administration before losing his seat in the 2023 election won by Mayor Daniel Rodrick’s ticket. Turnbach, and fellow Democrat Laurie Haruyk regularly championed Mo Hill’s agenda while on the council, including his plan to build a then 10-story twin tower project in Downtown Toms River.
- Kevin Starkey is representing former Mayor Maurice “Mo” Hill in litigation connected to the Silverton EMS dispute.
- Brick Township records identify Starkey as township attorney for the municipality led by Democratic Mayor Lisa Crate and council.
- Starkey’s law partner Terrance Turnbach previously served on the Toms River Township Council during Hill’s administration.
The relationships are drawing attention because Hill and Geoghegan were once political allies. Both signed a 2021 federal consent order in their respective roles as mayor and council president that allowed for the building of synagogues and houses of worship in residential zones, and Geoghegan served on the governing body while Hill occupied the mayor’s office.
Who is Kevin Starkey?
Starkey is a Toms River attorney and partner in Starkey, Kelly, Kenneally, Cunningham, Turnbach & Yannone. Brick Township government records identify him as the township attorney.
Township Lawsuit Targets Silverton EMS and Geoghegan
The underlying case began when Toms River sued Silverton First Aid Squad and Geoghegan over disputed ambulance billing revenue and township-owned gasoline.
As Shore News Network previously reported, the township seeks more than $2 million in damages and penalties. Its complaint alleges Silverton improperly used approximately 24,000 gallons of township gasoline and withheld roughly $750,000 connected to insurance billing.
The township alleges Silverton began directly billing insurance companies in 2021 and stopped forwarding the municipality’s share of the revenue required under a 2019 shared-services agreement.
Geoghegan has disputed the township’s accusations and previously characterized the case as politically motivated. The civil claims remain allegations to be decided in court.
Shore News Network reported in 2024 that township officials referred the matter to the Ocean County Prosecutor’s Office. The prosecutor’s office had not announced criminal charges stemming from that referral in the reporting reviewed for this story.
What does Toms River allege Silverton EMS owes taxpayers?
The township alleges approximately $750,000 in disputed medical billing revenue was withheld and that Silverton improperly used about 24,000 gallons of municipal gasoline. Its civil case seeks more than $2 million when damages and other requested relief are included.
Rodrick Says Former Hill Allies Are Working Together
Mayor Daniel Rodrick declined to discuss the substance of the litigation involving Geoghegan, but he addressed the political relationships surrounding the case.
“It’s clear that all these people aligned with the Mo Hill gang are working together, because they want to bring back the development, bring back patronage jobs, and political contracts for themselves and friends,” Rodrick said. “This is who is funding all of these same 10-15 people who get up and scream at us at every town meeting. It’s all a paid poltical show being driven by the Mo Hill gang.”
Rodrick’s characterization is a political allegation by the mayor. The professional and political relationships themselves do not establish misconduct by Starkey, Hill, Geoghegan, Turnbach or the law firm.
The attorney selection comes amid a wider political split in Toms River. Council members David Ciccozzi, Tom Nivison, Robert Bianchini and Clinton Bradley have been associated with Republicans for Toms River, a local political organization separate from the township’s official Republican organization.
Former Toms River MUA Commissioner Phil Brilliant, who led a failed effort to recall Rodrick, has also been politically aligned with opponents of the mayor. Shore News Network previously reported that campaign-finance filings showed Hill and Brilliant contributed to the political committee involved in the anti-Rodrick movement.
Why is Starkey’s representation politically notable?
Hill served as Toms River’s Republican mayor while Starkey has longstanding professional ties to Democratic-controlled Brick Township. The lawsuit also involves Geoghegan, Hill’s former political ally, while Starkey’s partner Turnbach previously served on the Toms River council during Hill’s administration.
The Silverton EMS litigation remains active in Ocean County Superior Court, where the township’s financial claims and the defendants’ responses will ultimately be resolved through the civil court process.
At this time, no criminal charges have been filed, but the outcome of the civil case could lead to criminal charges for Geoghegan if it is proven in civil court that he did indeed steal municipal fuel for personal gain at his for-profit medical transport company while serving on the township council. That verdict could also spark an investigation from the New Jersey Office of the Attorney General, but politics at the state level could squash that.
Starkey’s partner Terrance Turnbach, a high level Democrat in state politics is jockeying for a positon as a judge. Turnbach’s connections in Trenton could influence the OAG’s office to look the other way, some political insiders in Ocean County have told Shore News Network. Both men are also strong political allies with Democrat Ocean County Prosecutor Bradley Billhimer.
Sources: Starkey, Kelly, Kenneally, Cunningham, Turnbach & Yannone, firm attorney records; Brick Township Council, municipal records identifying Kevin Starkey as township attorney; Shore News Network, Silverton EMS litigation coverage; Shore News Network, original township lawsuit coverage; Court reports and transcipts; Toms River v. Silverton First Aid-Ocean County Superior Court
