DEVELOPING: Resignation Does Not End The Paul Dougherty Saga. Unrelated Announcement Expected To Be Coming From Attorney General’s Office.

Paul Dougherty

I didn’t think former Haddon Township Commissioner Paul Dougherty resigning before having his day in court over his hit and run accident made much sense, so I’ve been doing some digging.

Sources confirmed Dougherty has been dumped from many, and possibly all, of his municipal prosecutor positions, leading me to look further into why he resigned his position as commissioner.

It appears, Dougherty has even bigger problems.

Multiple sources have indicated there will soon be an announcement coming from the Attorney General’s office. Sources state the announcement is over Dougherty’s alleged involvement in a whistleblower lawsuit.

The lawsuit started in 2013 when Haddon Township police officer Denise Brodo discovered an issue with payment made to another officer. Click here to view the complaint.

As the story goes, Brodo and Dougherty were on friendly terms. Brodo went to Dougherty about the suit and problems she was facing in the department. Rather than doing as a commissioner should and immediately go to his fellow commissioners or the Township solicitor or anyone of authority, Dougherty allegedly referred Brodo to the law firm Costello & Mains, P.C. It is further alleged Dougherty received a referral fee after the case settled for $48,000 – a major “no, no.” As of this writing I’m still unsure as to whether the referral fee was paid from Brodo or the law firm.

We’ll be watching for the announcement expected to be coming soon from the Attorney General’s office and possibly a final conclusion to the Paul Dougherty Saga.

Vincent Squire Loves Free Speech Unless It’s About Him

Vincent Squire

Vincent Squire, the Camden County Freeholder candidate disavowed by his own party, is at it again.

In his latest move to silence his detractors Squire is attempting to shut down a blog that has reported factual information about him and filed criminal charges against the blogger, Mike Astringer.

The Positively Pennsauken News Blog, operated by Astringer, a Pennsauken resident, has been reporting on various local issues including the Pennsauken Township Committee and Camden County Freeholder races. The Positively Pennsauken blog has reported on, among other things, Squire being disavowed by the CCGOP, Squire’s criminal record, pending Felony charges, his campaign platform and his family home being in foreclosure and owing over one million dollars in fines and penalties to Pennsauken Township. The blog’s sources have included documents obtained through OPRA requests, transcripts from the NJ Courts website and Squire’s own videos. 

This is not the first time Squire tried to silence the Positively Pennsauken blog.  Earlier this year Squire served the Blogger with a fake $10 million lawsuit claiming defamation and as you see in this video threatened the Blogger for attempting to interview him.

 Federal courts have ruled that bloggers have the same Constitutional rights as Journalists. In 2014 The Ninth Circuit Federal Court ruled in Obsidian Finance Group v. Crystal Cox that even though someone might not write for the “institutional press,” they’re entitled to all the protections the Constitution grants journalists. 

On Monday October 15, 2018 Squire filed three criminal charges against the blogger claiming harassment and reckless endangerment.  Two of the charges he filed are Felonies.  On Tuesday October 16, 2018 Squire had to appear before a Judge in Pennsauken at a Show Cause Hearing.  The Judge dismissed the most serious charges and allowed a Harassment charge to move forward.

As you see in the following video Squire was obviously dissatisfied with the Judge’s decision and says he is appealing.  We’re not sure who is giving Squire legal advice but NJ offers no mechanism to appeal a Judge’s decision in a show-cause hearing.  In the video Squire also claims that Astringer was “found guilty”.  This was not a trial but a show-cause hearing to determine if the charges move forward.  Squire closes the video by saying “We are also filing a cease and desist order from your rag, I mean your blog so Mr. Astringer we’re shutting you down”.

Linked form squire’s campaign facebook page, enter fullscreen mode to see his smiling face

Squire is a public figure running for political office.  The Positively Pennsauken Blog has every right to report on him as long as the information is factual.  Squire is obviously desperate to keep information about him from surfacing and has now gone so far as to file criminal charges against the Blogger and attempt an injunction to get the blog shut down.  This is grandstanding on Squire’s part.  There is nothing he can do about a Blogger reporting factual information on him.

BREAKING NEWS: Haddon Township Commissioner Paul Dougherty To Resign

Paul Dougherty

Haddon Township Commissioners are scheduled to hold their caucus meeting tonight at 7:00. Sources say, Commissioner Paul Dougherty, the guy who tried to blame his wife for a hit and run accident he was involved in, is going to resign as a commissioner tonight.

I emailed back and forth with Mayor Randall Teague who at 3:13PM informed me, “My understanding is that he will be resigning. However, I have not received anything in writing as of yet.” The mayor went on to tell me if he heard anything he would let me know.

At 4:36PM Mayor Teague informed me he has received Commissioner Dougherty’s resignation. The resignation is official when Teague puts it on the record at tonight’s caucus meeting.

Dougherty still faces a court appearance next week over his hit and run accident at which time the commissioner’s saga will reach its conclusion.