Here We Go Again Another Camden County Democrat Heading To Court

Haddon Township Official accused of leaving scene of accident;

charged with driving without a license

CHERRY HILL – A recent report of Haddon Township Commissioner Paul Dougherty being charged with driving without a license in connection with a July 19 incident has Camden County Republicans asking questions.

“For the second time in as many months a county Democrat is facing charges and headed to court,” Camden County Republican Chairman Richard Ambrosino said. “And, once again, it appears there was an attempt to keep it quiet given the fact the incident became public two weeks after the fact.”

“Ambrosino asked, “Why did it take two weeks for this to become public?”

On June 19 Camden County Republicans wondered why it took nearly two weeks for the arrest of former Assemblyman Arthur Barclay to become public.

“It’s understandable county Democrats would want this latest incident involving one of their own kept quiet.” Camden County GOP Political Director Tom Crone explained, “Not only is Mr. Dougherty an elected commissioner, he is an elected member of the Democratic County Committee and serves as a municipal prosecutor in at least three municipalities in this county where their party has control.”

Dougherty is no stranger to controversy. In March of 2013 Haddon Township PBA 257 announced a vote of no confidence in Dougherty alleging “he had inappropriately discussed a police personnel matter in a public meeting; had appointed a hearing officer that he had a financial relationship with to preside over a preceding considering disciplinary actions for a police officer; had been found to be in a ‘suspected state of intoxication’ on several occasions by township police officers.”

“Considering some of the past allegations leveled at Dougherty by police in his own town, it gets people wondering why he would have allegedly left the scene of an accident,” Camden County GOP’s political consultant Steve Kush said. “He is a municipal prosecutor and has been charged with driving without a license, I’d seriously doubt he’d be facing that charge if he had a license at the time of the incident. As a prosecutor he should have known better.

“We’re not asking why this latest incident involving a county Democrat was kept quiet, but considering Arthur Barclay at the time of his incident was holding a nearly $60,000 a year county job, and still may hold that job, we do want to know if Dougherty will be kept on as a municipal prosecutor while he is facing at least one charge in a municipal court.”