Matt O'Donnell Archives - New Jersey Globe

Cooperating witness in state corruption probe asks appellate judges to postpone civil lawsuit

June 22, 2022 12:59 pmJune 22, 2022 2:29 pm

Matt O’Donnell, the disgraced former tax appeal attorney who is the state’s cooperating witness in a local corruption sting operation, is trying to delay a lawsuit by the township of Holmdel, who says he overbilled them for legal services. O’Donnell...

Hinting no more shoes to drop, state seeks delay in Matt O’Donnell civil litigation

May 13, 2022 12:46 pmMay 13, 2022 4:44 pm

Matt O’Donnell, the now-suspended tax appeal lawyer who has pled guilty to making illegal campaign contributions in exchange for public contracts, does not appear to be cooperating in any other investigations beyond those were announced in December 2019, court documents...

Assembly committee advances long-languishing bill extending bribery laws to candidates

March 17, 2022 11:53 am

The Assembly State and Local Government Committee today unanimously advanced a perennially sidelined bill that would make existing bribery statutes apply to candidates for office; under current law, only those who hold elected office can be charged with bribery. The...

Matt O’Donnell seeks delay in civil case, cites ‘ongoing criminal matters’

December 9, 2021 7:49 pmDecember 11, 2021 12:54 pm

The state’s cooperating witness in a political corruption sting wants a judge to hold up a civil lawsuit because it could impact “other ongoing criminal matters.” Matthew O’Donnell, a Morristown tax appeal attorney, entered into a plea agreement with state...

Longtime Assembly bill to apply bribery statute to candidates gets a Senate sponsor

November 23, 2021 2:09 pm

A nine-year bid to apply the state’s bribery statute to candidates for public office continues, but now with a sponsor in the State Senate. State Sen. Joseph Cryan (D-Union) introduced legislation on Monday that would make it a crime for...

Judge rejects attorney general’s request that Valandingham serve jail time

November 6, 2021 6:19 pmNovember 8, 2021 8:53 am

The former law partner of the state’s cooperating witness in a small fish political corruption sting operation, Matthew O’Donnell, was sentenced to three years’ probation and community service. Superior Court Judge Robert Hanna rejected the state attorney general’s office recommendation...

Matt O’Donnell pleads guilty, faces three years in state prison

October 27, 2021 6:12 pmOctober 28, 2021 3:21 pm

Matt O’Donnell, the state’s cooperating witness in a political corruption sting operation, today pleaded guilty on two counts connected to his use of straw donors to obtain public contracts for his law firm, O’Donnell McCord, that could require him to...