HOBOKEN – Peter Cammarano, the former mayor of Hoboken who in 2009 pleaded guilty to accepting $25,000 in illegal campaign contributions and recently completed a two-year stint in jail because of it, was charged with further campaign finance violations by the state’s Election Law Enforcement Commission (ELEC), according to a report in the Star-Ledger.
According to the Ledger, ELEC accused Cammarano with receipt of excessive contributions and cash, failure to file contribution and expenditure information, and failure to certify his reports.
Some of the illegal contributions came from Solomon Dwek, the FBI informant who under a false name assisted authorities in bringing down Cammarano and over 40 others on corruption charges, the report said, and other contributions never properly recorded.
Cammarano was the youngest mayor in Hoboken’s history, defeating Dawn Zimmer in runoff election before being arrested just 23 days into his first term. Zimmer ascended to the top office in his absence.
The ELEC complaint also names three of Cammarano’s 2009 city council candidates as well as his campaign’s treasurer. According to the Ledger, Cammarano and his four cohorts could face fines up to $6,800 per count if found guilty. The ELEC complaint consists of 14 charges.
Camarrano’s attorney, Joseph Hayden Jr., told the Ledger that Cammarano will continue to accept responsibility for any potential wrongdoings.
“Throughout the legal proceedings, Mr. Cammarano has accepted responsibility for his conduct and I am confident that after we analyze the complaint and digest the facts, he will continue to act appropriately and accept responsibility for his conduct,” he said. “That awaits a full analysis of the complaint and its allegations.” – Dean DeChiaro
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