- Daniel Van Pelt
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Daniel Van Pelt (born September 4, 1964) is an American Republican politician, who served in the New Jersey General Assembly from January 8, 2008, until July 31, 2009, when he resigned after being arrested in connection with Operation Bid Rig on federal corruption charges for allegedly accepting a $10,000 bribe. He was later convicted and scentenced to 41 months in prison. In the Assembly, he represented the 9th legislative district.
Contents
Government service
Van Pelt served on the governing body of Ocean Township from 1998 until February 2009, most of those years as the township's mayor.[1]
He simultaneously held a seat in the New Jersey General Assembly and as Mayor in 2008. This dual position, often called double dipping, is allowed under a grandfather clause in the state law enacted by the New Jersey Legislature and signed into law by Governor of New Jersey Jon Corzine in September 2007 that prevents dual-office-holding but allows those who had held both positions as of February 1, 2008, to retain both posts.[2]
He was one of 44 individuals arrested on July 23, 2009, as part of Operation Bid Rig, a joint operation of the FBI, IRS, and the United States Attorney for the District of New Jersey into corruption and money laundering that began with investigations into counterfeit merchandise and international money laundering. Van Pelt was charged with accepting a $10,000 bribe.[3][4]
Van Pelt had served on the Assembly's Environment and Solid Waste Committee and the Military and Veterans' Affairs Committee.[1] Assembly Speaker Joseph J. Roberts removed him from those positions the day of Van Pelt's arrest.[5]
Van Pelt resigned from the Assembly on July 31, more than a week after his arrest. He maintained his innocence, but said that his "current situation would only serve as a distraction, and I would do a disservice to those who elected me to do a job." Van Pelt also withdrew from his re-election bid.[6]
On August 12, Republican county committee members selected Long Beach Township Commissioner DiAnne C. Gove to fill the remainder of Van Pelt's term and to take his spot on the ballot. She is not expected to take office until the Assembly returns from recess after the general election on November 3.[7]
Van Pelt was convicted on May 19th, 2010, of accepting a 10,000$ bribe to provide environmental permits for an Ocean Township development project. [8] On Nov. 19th he was sentenced to 41 months in federal prison. [9]
Education and career
Van Pelt attended Toms River High School East and received a B.S. from The College of New Jersey with a major in Criminal Justice and an M.A. from Regent University in Public Policy and Government.[1] He was the Township Administrator of Lumberton Township, New Jersey, a position that paid $85,000.[10] The Lumberton Township Committee fired him on July 25, 2009, in the wake of his arrest on federal corruption charges.[11]
District 9
Each of the forty districts in the New Jersey Legislature has one representative in the New Jersey Senate and two members in the New Jersey General Assembly. The other representatives from the 9th District for the 2008-2009 Legislative Session are:
- Senator Christopher J. Connors, and
- Assemblyman Brian E. Rumpf
References
- ^ a b c Assemblyman Van Pelt's legislative web page, New Jersey Legislature. Accessed January 22, 2008.
- ^ via Associated Press. "N.J. Lawmakers keep double dipping", WPVI-TV, March 4, 2008. Accessed June 4, 2009.
- ^ Ryan, Joe. "Feds charge 44 with corruption including two N.J. assemblymen, three mayors", The Star-Ledger, July 23, 2009. Accessed July 23, 2009.
- ^ Bloomberg.com, Bloomberg L.P.. Accessed July 23, 2009.
- ^ Procida, Lee. "Van Pelt met five times with FBI witness", Press of Atlantic City, July 24, 2009. Accessed July 27, 2009.
- ^ Procida, Lee. "Van Pelt resigns, citing public's 'outrage' over corruption charges", Press of Atlantic City, July 31, 2009. Accessed July 31, 2009.
- ^ "Long Beach Commissioner Gove to succeed Van Pelt in Assembly". Asbury Park Press. 2009-08-12. http://www.app.com/article/20090812/NEWS/908120380/1070/NEWS02/Long+Beach+Commissioner+Gove+to+succeed+Van+Pelt+in+Assembly. Retrieved 2009-08-13.[dead link]
- ^ Spoto, MaryAnn. [http://www.nj.com/news/index.ssf/2010/05/former_assemblyman_daniel_van_1.html "Ex-N.J. Assemblyman Daniel Van Pelt is convicted of taking $10K bribe ",Nj.com.
- ^ "Van Pelt Sentenced In New Jersey Corruption Case". CBS New York. http://newyork.cbslocal.com/2010/11/19/van-pelt-sentenced-in-new-jersey-corruption-case/.
- ^ Provida, lee. "Van Pelt ignores resignation calls", Press of Atlantic City, July 25, 2009. Accessed July 27, 2009.
- ^ Harper, Derek. "Van Pelt fired from his job as administrator", Press of Atlantic City, July 25, 2009. Accessed July 31, 2009.
External links
- Assemblyman Van Pelt's legislative web page, New Jersey Legislature
- New Jersey Legislature financial disclosure forms
- Van Pelt criminal complaint, United States Department of Justice, July 23, 2009
Categories:- 1964 births
- Living people
- American extortionists
- Members of the New Jersey General Assembly
- Mayors of places in New Jersey
- New Jersey city council members
- New Jersey Republicans
- People convicted of bribery
- People from Ocean County, New Jersey
- Regent University alumni
- The College of New Jersey alumni
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