After a controversial prosecution that lasted slightly less than six years, former Morris County Freeholder John Cesaro today pleaded guilty to accepting bribes in exchange for directing public contracts to disgraced tax appeal attorney Matt O’Donnell.
The state will seek a five-year prison sentence, the forfeiture of roughly $7,700 – Cesaro’s take in the scheme – and a $23,000 fine. He’ll also face a lifetime disqualification from public office.
But the plea was to a conspiracy to commit bribery in official and political matters, a 3rd degree offense. As a first-time offender, there is a presumption of non-incarceration. None of the other three charged under the O’Donnell sting were sentenced to prison.
Cesaro was one of five tiny fish political figures charged in the bizarre O’Donnell sting operation in December 2019, mounted by the embattled Office of Public Integrity and Accountability and stained Deputy Attorney General John Nicodemo. One of the prosecutions remains ongoing.
“The public’s faith in government is shaken when elected officials trade favors or preferential treatment for illicit payments,” said Attorney General Matt Platkin. “Government service is about serving the public, not about getting unlawful perks.”
A former Parsippany councilman and Morris County freeholder, he had been seeking a political comeback as a candidate in a January 2021 special election convention for the freeholder seat Heather Darling was vacating to become Morris County surrogate. He had lost re-election in the 2018 GOP primary.
At the time of his arrest for official misconduct, bribery, accepting unlawful benefit, tampering and falsifying public records, and concealing campaign contributions, Cesaro was slated to become the Rockaway Township municipal prosecutor.
Cesaro’s sentencing is set for January 16 before Superior Court Judge Peter Toer.
O’Donnell pled guilty in October 2021, but can’t be sentenced until the final case of his sting operation, a former Hudson County assemblyman, is resolved. He pleaded guilty on two counts connected to his use of straw donors to obtain public contracts for his law firm, O’Donnell McCord, that could require him to serve three years in state prison.
He agreed to be debarred and to a ten-year ban on any business relationship with the state. He’ll need to pay full restitution to the victims and forfeit $600,000 from his use of straw donors and illegal cash contributions. O’Donnell has also agreed to pay a $250,000 public corruption profiteering penalty and a lifetime ban on public employment.
