Former Paterson Mayor Joey Torres found himself in more legal trouble Friday after the acting attorney general of New Jersey announced new charges after the politician barred from holding public office started a bid for mayor.
Acting Attorney General Matthew Platkin said Torres is facing criminal contempt for launching his new mayoral bid, an action in direct violation of a court order he signed five years ago. In 2017, Torres pleaded guilty to conspiracy charges in a corruption case sparked by an I-Team investigation in 2016.
The embattled former politician resigned as part of a plea deal and agreed to never again seek public office over a scheme to steal from taxpayers by ordering city workers to do construction on a relative's would-be beer business.
Torres accepted the deal after Paterson Department of Public Works supervisors were caught on camera doing work for the now-former mayor's family also accepted plea deals and agreed to cooperate with prosecutors.
The complaint filed against Torres claims the 63-year-old delivered a speech on Feb. 12 saying he would run for mayor in Paterson in the 2022 election. He also allegedly asked for votes from the audience.
Three weeks later, Torres is accused of delivering "a stack of purported nominating petitions in support of his candidacy" to the city clerk's office, knowingly disobeying the 2017 forfeiture order he signed following his guilty plea, the attorney general's office said. Those petitions -- rejected by the clerk's office -- prompted Torres to file a civil action to compel the office to accept them.
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Torres told NorthJersey.com on Friday that he would proceed with the lawsuit to get onto the ballot for Paterson's election, saying "I understand all the consequences and all the repercussions."
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“State law provides that any person convicted of a crime involving their public office will be forever barred from holding another public position in New Jersey,” said Acting Attorney General Platkin. “To promote public trust and integrity in government, we must ensure that this law and the court orders issued to implement it are rigorously enforced.”
Torres initially denied any wrongdoing and vowed to fight the charges. His arrest came after a series of I-Team stories that appeared to show city employees doing private jobs for him, from washing his scooter and building bookshelves to doing construction at his nephew's would-be beer business.
Torres served five terms on Paterson's City Council before he was elected mayor in 2002. If convicted on the the fourth-degree criminal contempt charge, he faces up to 18 months in prison and up to a $10,000 fine.
