James Devine, a campaign manager for Lisa McCormick, a potential candidate in the 2021 New Jersey governor’s race, is facing election fraud charges, Attorney General Matthew Platkin announced Tuesday.  

To get McCormick on the ballot for the Democratic primary, Devine on or about April 5, 2021 allegedly filed 1,948 fraudulent voter certifications in support of a petition for governor. Within  days, the New Jersey Democratic State Committee challenged the filings, listing various problems with the voter certifications, including that at least one of the listed voters was dead. As a result, an administrative law judge removed McCormick from the ballot.  

In a subsequent investigation by the Office of Public Integrity and Accountability, detectives interviewed multiple people listed on the petitions submitted by Devine; they said they did not submit a petition or authorize one in support of McCormick’s nomination. 

“The voters need to have faith that when they go to the polls, the candidates listed on the ballot have gotten there legitimately and that they aren’t being scammed,” said Office of Public Integrity and Accountability Executive Director Thomas Eicher. “Fraudulent acts like this erode faith in our government and the rule of law, and there must be consequences.”