TRENTON – County Republican leader George Gilmore, who recently went to trial on tax evasion charges, parted ways amiably last year with a lobbying firm he was associated with.
In addition to being the head of the county GOP, his law firm Gilmore and Monahan did work for many local municipalities. He was also involved with 1868 Public Affairs, a firm that boasts having connections in government that can “provide our clients with a powerful voice in the budget and legislative process.”
Richard Ambrosino Jr., managing partner for 1868, explained that Gilmore was of counsel with 1868, meaning that he had all the rights of a partner but had no equity in the firm.
Gilmore’s split from the firm was made official in December of 2018, but he had not done any work for them for at least six months prior, Ambrosino said. His work dried out when the administration in the state switched from Republican Chris Christie to Democrat Phil Murphy.
Gilmore was an early supporter of Christie’s, and served on his transition team when the governor took office in 2010. Murphy assumed office in January of 2018.
Gilmore started with 1868 Public Affairs around 2010, Abrosino said. He resigned to concentrate on his law firm, and 1868 asked for a letter of resignation in December to have it on record.
“It’s not something rare in this business,” he said of someone leaving after a politician is out of office, noting that partners in the firm have had personal relationships with Gilmore for 20 years.
Gilmore, of Toms River, was indicted on six counts by a federal grand jury: one count of tax evasion; two counts of failing to collect, account for, and pay over payroll taxes for two quarters of one year; two counts of filing a false tax return; and one count of alleged loan application fraud. He allegedly owes more than $1 million in federal taxes while having spent more than $2.5 million on extravagant personal expenses.
His attorney, Kevin Marino, has tried to argue that Gilmore’s spending is due to a hoarding disorder, but the federal government has not been interested in hearing that defense, or hearing from a psychological expert’s testimony on the disorder.
A request for comment through Marino was not returned for this story.
