James Devine, on probation, accused of stiffing a vendor for his new yoga studio

On October 17, controversial and mendacious political consultant James Devine stood with his court-appointed public defender and pleaded guilty to filing fake petitions in the 2021 gubernatorial primary.   He was sentenced to probation.

He told Superior Court Judge Robert Lytle that he was not working, but at least four months earlier, he had become the owner of Tranquility Yoga in Flemington.

Now, Devine is trying to cheat a local small business owner who made a $8,370 custom, backlit sign for his new yoga studio. The sign has been installed, but Devine won’t pay the $4,770 balance due.

“They signed a contract, and now they won’t pay it,” said the Flemington woman who makes signs in her home. “I’m a small business.  I can’t afford to lose $5,000.”

Devine said there were some black marks on the side where the old sign used to be, and he wants the sign maker to remove them.   The agreement he signed and initialed twelve times, reviewed by the New Jersey Globe, did not reference repainting any part of the building.

He also disputed the invoice’s due date even though the contract stated that the payment terms were “100% Upon Receipt.”

“When the job is done to my satisfaction, it will be paid,” he said.  “The lady who installed the sign said I had until the end of the year.”

How did Devine finance the opening of a yoga studio at the same time he was destitute enough to qualify for a public defender?

“I borrowed it,” Devine said but declined to identify who loaned him the money. “I’m doing what I can to make a living like everybody else in America.”

A spokesman, Peter McAleer, declined to answer questions on whether the judiciary confirmed financial information supplied by Devine in his request for a public defender.

The Tranquility Yoga website says the studio “is designed to be a haven where individuals can explore holistic practices and connect with their inner peace because that’s what James Devine intended when he bought it for his wife, Lisa.”

Lisa is shadowy perennial candidate Lisa McCormick, who had sought to challenge Gov. Phil Murphy by filing fraudulent petitions.  She was not charged.

An administrative law judge determined the petitions to be “fraudulently created without any input from actual voters,” the matter was referred to the attorney general’s office by Secretary of State Tahesha Way.  A grand jury indicted Devine in March after a 37-month criminal investigation.  The political gremlin unsuccessfully sought to participate in the state’s pretrial intervention program.

The studio’s website portrays Devine and McCormick as “a tale of two people who chose to restore something broken because they saw its beauty.”

“The foundation of the studio was originally part of a yoga franchise that failed to create a sustainable space for the community to find peace,” the website noted.  “Lisa became a member of the previous studio right before it faced eviction, which broke her heart because she loved the space so much.”

“James felt unsettled watching his wife struggle with the loss of a space she fell in love with at first sight. So… he bought it for her. with absolutely no idea of how he would make it work, the owners stated.  “Fortunately, the lawyer who helped him purchase the facility knew the yoga therapist who had previously helped open it.”