Berkeley Responds To Gilmore Subpoena

George Gilmore (Photo courtesy OC Politics.com)

BERKELEY – The township attorney confirmed Berkeley was among towns subpoenaed for documents as part of a federal grand jury investigation into Republican County Chairman George Gilmore.

Township Attorney Lauren Staiger said the subpoenas to the township asks for documents relating to her firm, Gilmore and Monahan, where Gilmore is a partner and attorney.

Berkeley is one of several Ocean County towns that use or have used the firm as the counsel for its governing body, such as Little Egg Harbor and Jackson, which were also subpoenaed.

Staiger was responding to a question from a resident during the public portion of the January 30 township council meeting. She said the subpoena was served last week and it sought township records such as contracts and bills relating to the law firm, and their corresponding council resolutions and minutes of those meetings.

  “These were records anyone could get, through OPRA,” Staiger said, referring to the Open Public Records Act.

Last week, the Asbury Park Press reported Ocean County government records were part of the subpoena, and Jean Cipriani, who is the township attorney for Jackson and Little Egg Harbor and a partner in Gilmore and Monahan, told Ocean County Politics website that all towns who use that firm received subpoenas.

Gilmore, of Toms River, has faced several tax liens on his property for unpaid taxes, online tax records show.