Gilmore innocent until proven guilty, Singer says

State Sen. Bob Singer said Ocean County Chairman George Gilmore should not step back from that role while under investigation for federal tax evasion charges.

“These are accusations. He has claimed he’s innocent, and he’s going to trial. We’ll see. Supposedly by the end of April he’s going to be in trial,” Singer said. “This is an accusation. He hasn’t been convicted. I’m still a believer in ‘you’re innocent until you’re proven guilty.’ We’re going through the process. We all believe in the process, and the end result will be what the process determines.”

A federal grand jury indicted Gilmore on tax evasion charges in early January. The indictment alleges Gilmore evaded paying more than $1 million in taxes, filed false tax returns, failed to pay payroll taxes and made false statements on an application seeking a bank loan.

Gilmore has maintained his innocence and intends to fight the charges in court.

Close half of the 30th legislative district’s 265,000 residents live in Ocean County, where Gilmore is kingmaker.