Congratulations to former Assemblyman Daniel Van Pelt, who today became the first Republican legislator to be convicted on state or federal corruption charges since State Sen. James Turner (R-Woodbury) planted drugs in the home of a Democratic Assemblyman in 1973. Overall, Van Pelt is the sixteenth legislator under the current State Constitution to be convicted or plead guilty to a crime committed while serving in the Legislature. Three others are currently awaiting trial, including Assemblyman Anthony Chiappone (D-Bayonne), who was re-elected last year, less than four months after his arrest.
A list of state legislators convicted on state or federal corruption charges, not including former legislators who were accused of a crime after their service in the Legislature had ended:
Bergen County
Sen. Joseph Coniglio (D)
Speaker Peter Moraites (R)
Camden County
Sen. Wayne Bryant (D)
Sen. Angelo Errichetti (D)
Essex County
Sen. Sharpe James (D)
Assemblyman Mims Hackett (D)
Assemblyman Jackie Mattison (D)
Gloucester County
Sen. James Turner (R)
Hudson County
Sen. David Friedland (D)
Sen. William Vincent Musto (D)
Assemblyman Anthony Impreveduto (D)
Middlesex County
Sen. John Lynch (D)
Ocean County
Assemblyman Daniel Van Pelt (R)
Passaic County
Assemblyman Alfred Steele (D)
Union County
Sen. John Gregorio (D)
*Assemblyman Neil Cohen (D)
Awaiting Trial
Assemblyman Anthony Chiappone (D-Bayonne)
Assemblyman L. Harvey Smith (D-Jersey City)
Assemblyman Joseph Vas (D-Perth Amboy)
*Cohen pleaded guilty to having child pornography on his state computer.
** The list does not include Senate President Matthew Feldman (D-Teaneck), who admitted to bribing a customer of his liquor wholesale business in 1977. Feldman continued to win re-election by wide margins and served until 1994.
