Judge orders Hill to get his share of joint campaign account

A Superior Court judge has ordered the treasurer of a joint election committee to pay Toms River mayoral candidate Mo Hill $25,930 by noon tomorrow.

The fundraising committee was a joint effort with mayor Thomas Kelaher and councilmen George Wittman and Brian Kubiel. The three are not seeking re-election this year and Hill, a four-term councilman, is seeking the Republican nomination for mayor.

Judge Francis Hodgson said that if the committee fails to issue a check to the Hill campaign by the deadline,  he was ordering Shore Community Bank to issue a check.

Former Ocean County Republican Chairman George Gilmore froze the account, which had $103,330 cash-on-hand, before he was convicted on federal tax charges.

Hill is running against county-backed candidate Joseph Coronato, a former county prosecutor, and councilman Dan Rodrick, for the mayor’s seat.