TRENTON, N.J. — A campaign manager from Hunterdon County has pleaded guilty to charges related to a fraudulent attempt to place a candidate on the ballot in the 2021 Democratic primary for New Jersey governor, the Office of the Attorney General announced today.
James J. Devine, 62, of Lambertville, admitted to submitting false nomination petitions during a hearing on August 26, 2024, before Judge Robert E. Lytle in New Jersey Superior Court in Mercer County. Devine pleaded guilty to an offense concerning nomination certificates or petitions, a third-degree charge.
Devine was the campaign manager for Lisa McCormick, a Democrat who unsuccessfully challenged Phil Murphy in the 2021 primary election.
Under the terms of a plea agreement with the Office of Public Integrity and Accountability (OPIA), which is subject to court approval, the prosecution will recommend that Devine serve two years of probation. Sentencing is scheduled for October 18, 2024.
Attorney General Matthew J. Platkin emphasized the importance of protecting the integrity of the electoral process. “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.”
Drew Skinner, Executive Director of the OPIA, added, “The defendant in this case has now admitted to fraudulently trying to get a candidate on the primary ballot for governor.
Anyone who might try to cheat our democratic system should know: we will hold you accountable.”
The case stems from an OPIA investigation that led to Devine’s indictment by a state grand jury on March 12, 2024. The investigation revealed that in April 2021, Devine submitted approximately 1,948 fraudulent nominating petitions to the New Jersey Department of State’s Division of Elections in an effort to qualify his candidate for the June 8, 2021, Democratic primary for governor.
The New Jersey Democratic State Committee challenged the petitions on April 9, 2021, citing questions about their authenticity. Administrative Law Judge Jeffrey N. Rabin ruled in favor of the committee, and the candidate was removed from the ballot on April 13, 2021.
During the investigation, it was discovered that many individuals whose names appeared on the petitions had not submitted or authorized them. Devine admitted to uploading false voter information onto petition forms and submitting them to the Division of Elections without the voters’ approval.
In pleading guilty, Devine acknowledged that he knew the petitions were fraudulent when he filed them.
