TOMS RIVER, NJ – The Democrat candidate for Toms River is under fire this week after taking campaign donations from two of Lakewood’s biggest power powerbrokers, a realtor and the head of the Lakewood Democrat party.
The report shows Doughtery accepted campaign checks from two prominent Lakewood deal makers. It is known that Dougherty is a state Democrat party operative who has worked for U.S. Senator Cory Booker and is allied with Democrat U.S. Congressman Andy Kim and New Jersey Governor Phil Murphy.
William Byrne, the Toms River Republican candidate for council in this November’s Ward 2 election, said a recent New Jersey Election Law Enforcement Commission Report by Democrat Zachary Dougherty is raising more than a few eyebrows.
Dougherty has received financial contributions from Marta Harrison, the former Lakewood Mayor who now leads the Lakewood Democratic party. Another large reportable donation came from Lakewood developer Mordechai Eichorn. Eichorn is building multiple private schools in Jackson and a massive housing project on the Jackson-Lakewood border called “Jackson Trails.”
Eichorn is the owner of Re-Max on the Move, a real estate firm based in Downtown Lakewood.
Records show Eichorn also owns property in downtown Toms River.
Byrne questioned why the leader of the Lakewood Democrat party and the owner of one of the largest residential developers in Ocean County would provide his opponent Doughtery with financial campaign contributions.
Dougherty has not disclosed his connections to Eichorn or Harrison.
