TRENTON — A political consultant pleaded guilty today to arranging deceptive "robocalls" to more than 12,000 voters during the June 2009 primary race in a northern New Jersey legislative district, the state Attorney General's Office said.
Kevin Collins, 41, of Brooklyn, N.Y., who was a paid consultant for Republican challengers Joe Caruso and Anthony Rottino, admitted he was responsible for the calls attacking incumbent Assemblymen Scott Rumana and David Russo in the 40th District, the office said in a news release.
Under the plea agreement, Collins admitted to violating the Fair Campaign Practices Act, a disorderly persons offense, and was sentenced to one year of probation and a $1,000 fine, the release said. In return, the state dismissed its charge of impersonation, the release said.
Collins admitted that he provided the cell phone number of Rumana’s former chief of staff, Ann Mary O’Rourke, to an independent, out-of-state robocall service so that it would appear that the automated phone message came from her, the release said.
The call made negative remarks about the incumbents and encouraged recipients to vote against them, the release said. The call did not identify the campaign or political organization behind it, but featured a voice of a woman identifying herself as "Ann" and falsely displayed O'Rourke's cell phone number in the caller ID, the release said.
Under the plea deal, Collins must also apologize in writing to O'Rourke. An attorney for Collins could not immediately be reached for comment.
