Despite Assemblyman, Anthony Chiappone’s original denial to the charges of tampering with public records or information, today he pleaded guilty to filing false reports with the New Jersey Election Law Enforcement Commission (ELEC). Chiappone’s guilty plea forces him to forfeit his seat in the New Jersey General Assembly.
In pleading guilty, Chiappone admitted that he completed and certified the campaign contribution and expenditure reports filed with ELEC for the 2005 Chiappone for Assembly campaign, knowing that they were false because they failed to report five state-issued paychecks for a legislative aide totaling $3,233.64 that were deposited into the campaign account. He falsely certified that contributions to the campaign did not exceed ELEC limits, even though the total of the aide’s checks exceeded the limit of $2,600 for contributions from a single individual.
“The people of New Jersey have a right to expect that their elected officials will uphold the law and act honestly in all official matters,” said Attorney General Dow. “Assemblyman Chiappone must forfeit his public office because he broke the law, dishonestly attempting to evade campaign reporting requirements.”
52 year old Chiappone of Bayonne New Jersey can never hold public office again.
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