Former Camden GOP chair fined for not answering subpoena in Moriarty lawsuit

A judge has ordered the Camden County GOP’s former chairman to pay nearly $1,000 after failing to comply with a subpoena in a libel lawsuit that state Sen. Paul Moriarty (D-Washington) leveled against the county party last year.

Moriarty sued the Camden GOP and its previous chairman, Thomas Crone Jr., for defamation over a mailer distributed in the days leading up to the Democrat’s election to the state Senate in 2023. The mailer allegedly called Moriarty a “drunk driver,” an apparent reference to an unlawful DWI arrest in 2012 that led to the firing of a Washington Township police officer and a $50,000 settlement.

The Camden GOP, now chaired by Kimberley Stuart, denied distributing the mailer in a legal filing.

Crone, however, failed to comply with a subpoena that asked for his testimony and relevant documents. Late last week, Superior Court Judge Steven Polansky ordered Crone to pay $934 in attorney fees for his “previous failure to comply” with the subpoena and demanded he appear for a deposition next Tuesday. Polansky ruled that if Crone fails to appear that day, the Republican will be held in contempt and could face discipline, including “incarceration for his willful non-compliance.”



https://newjerseyglobe.com/judiciary/former-camden-gop-chair-fined-for-not-answering-subpoena-in-moriarty-lawsuit/