James W. Treffinger
Encyclopedia
James William Treffinger (born May 20, 1950) is an American
lawyer and Republican Party
politician who served as County Executive
of Essex County
, New Jersey
from 1995 to 2003. He pleaded guilty to federal charges of obstruction of justice
and mail fraud in 2003.
. When he was 4 years old, he was adopted by Fred Treffinger, who had married his mother. He grew up in Maplewood
and attended Saint Benedict's Preparatory School
in Newark. Treffinger later recalled, "We didn't know many Republicans... My family idolized F.D.R. and Truman and John Kennedy. It was a Catholic family, so Kennedy was a double hero."
He graduated magna cum laude
from Seton Hall University
in 1972 with a degree in history. He was selected as a Fulbright
scholar, the first in Seton Hall's history, and studied history, jurisprudence and economics in Germany
at the University of Bonn
and the University of Marburg in 1973.
Treffinger earned a J.D.
degree from Rutgers School of Law—Newark
in 1976. He was admitted to the bar in New York and New Jersey, concentrating in his legal career on corporate and insurance law. He worked for the Home Insurance Company in New York City from 1982 to 1987, serving as senior vice president for government affairs and associate general counsel. He was special insurance counsel at Willkie Farr & Gallagher
from 1987 to 1989. He joined Hughes Hubbard & Reed
in 1990, serving as partner until 1995.
Township Council in 1980, serving until 1983, when he was elected Mayor of Verona, New Jersey
. He served again on the Township Council from 1987 to 1989 and from 1991 to 1993, and then served another term as mayor from 1993 to 1995. From 1992 to 1995, he served on the Essex County Board of Chosen Freeholders
.
In 1994, Treffinger defeated a divided Democratic party to become the first Republican County Executive
of Essex County in 35 years. His predecessor, Thomas J. D'Alessio, left the county with a $161 million deficit, and was later convicted for money laundering, fraud and extortion. Treffinger was credited with nearly closing the county's budget gap in one year after taking office. Treffinger won re-election in 1998, defeating former Newark mayor Kenneth A. Gibson
by a margin of 50 percent to 47 percent.
Treffinger ran for the United States Senate
in 2000
. He finished third in the Republican primary with 18 percent of the vote, behind U.S. Rep. Bob Franks
(36 percent) and State Senator William Gormley
(34 percent).
In November 2001, he announced he would again run for U.S. Senate, in the 2002 race
for the seat of incumbent Robert Torricelli
. He withdrew from the race in April 2002, after it became known that he was a target of a federal investigation.
and the Internal Revenue Service
raided Treffinger's county office, carting away boxes of files, computers, and other materials. On October 28, Treffinger was arrested at his house in Verona. U.S. Attorney
Chris Christie announced that Treffinger had been charged in a 20-count indictment with extortion, fraud, obstructing a federal investigation and conspiracy. He was released on $100,000 bail.
On May 31, 2003, shortly before his trial was scheduled to begin, Treffinger pleaded guilty to one count of obstruction of justice and one count of mail fraud, admitting that he had solicited an illegal $15,000 campaign contribution in exchange for a county contract, and that he had placed two people on the Essex County payroll who instead worked on his 2000 Senate campaign. The remaining counts were dismissed as part of the plea agreement. On October 17, he was sentenced to 13 months in prison. Treffinger had sought a lighter sentence, saying he was "a new man, a better man" after converting from Catholicism
to Baptism
and joining an evangelical Baptist congregation in Bloomfield
after his arrest.
In December 2004, Treffinger was released from federal prison into the custody of a Newark halfway house. In April 2006, he agreed to pay $171,000 to settle an investigation by the Federal Election Commission
over improper use of campaign funds to pay his legal fees. In November 2007, it was reported that Treffinger had enrolled at the Princeton Theological Seminary
and was planning to start a ministry for prison inmates.
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
lawyer and Republican Party
Republican Party (United States)
The Republican Party is one of the two major contemporary political parties in the United States, along with the Democratic Party. Founded by anti-slavery expansion activists in 1854, it is often called the GOP . The party's platform generally reflects American conservatism in the U.S...
politician who served as County Executive
County executive
A county executive is the head of the executive branch of government in a county. This position is common in the United States.The executive may be an elected or an appointed position...
of Essex County
Essex County, New Jersey
Essex County is a county located in the northeastern part of the U.S. state of New Jersey. As of the United States 2010 Census, the population was 783,969, ranking it third in the state after Bergen County and Middlesex County; Essex County's population has declined from 786,147 as of the bureau's...
, New Jersey
New Jersey
New Jersey is a state in the Northeastern and Middle Atlantic regions of the United States. , its population was 8,791,894. It is bordered on the north and east by the state of New York, on the southeast and south by the Atlantic Ocean, on the west by Pennsylvania and on the southwest by Delaware...
from 1995 to 2003. He pleaded guilty to federal charges of obstruction of justice
Obstruction of justice
The crime of obstruction of justice, in United States jurisdictions, refers to the crime of interfering with the work of police, investigators, regulatory agencies, prosecutors, or other officials...
and mail fraud in 2003.
Early life and legal career
Treffinger was born James Paladino in Newark, New JerseyNewark, New Jersey
Newark is the largest city in the American state of New Jersey, and the seat of Essex County. As of the 2010 United States Census, Newark had a population of 277,140, maintaining its status as the largest municipality in New Jersey. It is the 68th largest city in the U.S...
. When he was 4 years old, he was adopted by Fred Treffinger, who had married his mother. He grew up in Maplewood
Maplewood, New Jersey
Maplewood is a township in Essex County, New Jersey, United States. As of the 2010 United States Census, the township population was 23,867.-History:...
and attended Saint Benedict's Preparatory School
Saint Benedict's Preparatory School
Saint Benedict's Preparatory School is a college preparatory school in Newark, New Jersey, United States. It is an all-boys, secondary school located on a urban campus serving students in the seventh through twelfth grades...
in Newark. Treffinger later recalled, "We didn't know many Republicans... My family idolized F.D.R. and Truman and John Kennedy. It was a Catholic family, so Kennedy was a double hero."
He graduated magna cum laude
Latin honors
Latin honors are Latin phrases used to indicate the level of academic distinction with which an academic degree was earned. This system is primarily used in the United States, Canada, and in many countries of continental Europe, though some institutions also use the English translation of these...
from Seton Hall University
Seton Hall University
Seton Hall University is a private Roman Catholic university in South Orange, New Jersey, United States. Founded in 1856 by Archbishop James Roosevelt Bayley, Seton Hall is the oldest diocesan university in the United States. Seton Hall is also the oldest and largest Catholic university in the...
in 1972 with a degree in history. He was selected as a Fulbright
Fulbright Program
The Fulbright Program, including the Fulbright-Hays Program, is a program of competitive, merit-based grants for international educational exchange for students, scholars, teachers, professionals, scientists and artists, founded by United States Senator J. William Fulbright in 1946. Under the...
scholar, the first in Seton Hall's history, and studied history, jurisprudence and economics in Germany
Germany
Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
at the University of Bonn
University of Bonn
The University of Bonn is a public research university located in Bonn, Germany. Founded in its present form in 1818, as the linear successor of earlier academic institutions, the University of Bonn is today one of the leading universities in Germany. The University of Bonn offers a large number...
and the University of Marburg in 1973.
Treffinger earned a J.D.
Juris Doctor
Juris Doctor is a professional doctorate and first professional graduate degree in law.The degree was first awarded by Harvard University in the United States in the late 19th century and was created as a modern version of the old European doctor of law degree Juris Doctor (see etymology and...
degree from Rutgers School of Law—Newark
Rutgers School of Law—Newark
Rutgers School of Law–Newark is the oldest of three law schools in the U.S. state of New Jersey. It is located at the S.I. Newhouse Center for Law and Justice, at 123 Washington Street, in downtown Newark...
in 1976. He was admitted to the bar in New York and New Jersey, concentrating in his legal career on corporate and insurance law. He worked for the Home Insurance Company in New York City from 1982 to 1987, serving as senior vice president for government affairs and associate general counsel. He was special insurance counsel at Willkie Farr & Gallagher
Willkie Farr & Gallagher
Founded in 1888, Willkie Farr & Gallagher LLP is an international law firm with eight offices in six countries . The firm has cultivated a strong corporate practice focused on investment funds, bankruptcy and intellectual property...
from 1987 to 1989. He joined Hughes Hubbard & Reed
Hughes Hubbard & Reed
Hughes Hubbard & Reed LLP , founded in 1888, is a law firm headquartered in New York City.The firm's history dates back to the late 19th century when it counted among its partners former Chief Justice of the United States Charles Evans Hughes.Hughes Hubbard was recently ranked first among law firms...
in 1990, serving as partner until 1995.
Political career
Treffinger was elected to the VeronaVerona, New Jersey
Verona is a township in Essex County, New Jersey, United States. As of the 2010 United States Census, the township population was 13,332.In 2008, New Jersey Monthly magazine ranked Verona #1 in Essex County and #3 in New Jersey as "Top Places to Live in New Jersey".-History:Verona and several...
Township Council in 1980, serving until 1983, when he was elected Mayor of Verona, New Jersey
Mayor of Verona, New Jersey
Mayors of Verona, New Jersey*Frank Sapienza 2011 to present*James W. Treffinger 1983 to ?*Jay Sniatkowski*David Hoagland Slayback...
. He served again on the Township Council from 1987 to 1989 and from 1991 to 1993, and then served another term as mayor from 1993 to 1995. From 1992 to 1995, he served on the Essex County Board of Chosen Freeholders
Board of Chosen Freeholders
In New Jersey, the Boards of Chosen Freeholders are the county legislatures in each of that state's 21 counties.- Origin :New Jersey's system of naming county legislators "freeholders" is unique in the United States...
.
In 1994, Treffinger defeated a divided Democratic party to become the first Republican County Executive
County executive
A county executive is the head of the executive branch of government in a county. This position is common in the United States.The executive may be an elected or an appointed position...
of Essex County in 35 years. His predecessor, Thomas J. D'Alessio, left the county with a $161 million deficit, and was later convicted for money laundering, fraud and extortion. Treffinger was credited with nearly closing the county's budget gap in one year after taking office. Treffinger won re-election in 1998, defeating former Newark mayor Kenneth A. Gibson
Kenneth A. Gibson
Kenneth Allen Gibson is an American Democratic Party politician, who was elected in 1970 as the 34th Mayor of Newark, New Jersey, the largest city in the state. He was the first African American elected mayor of any major Northeastern U.S. city...
by a margin of 50 percent to 47 percent.
Treffinger ran for the United States Senate
United States Senate
The United States Senate is the upper house of the bicameral legislature of the United States, and together with the United States House of Representatives comprises the United States Congress. The composition and powers of the Senate are established in Article One of the U.S. Constitution. Each...
in 2000
United States Senate elections, 2000
In 2000, elections for one-third of the seats in the United States Senate occurred In 2000, elections for one-third of the seats in the United States Senate occurred In 2000, elections for one-third of the seats in the United States Senate occurred (they coincided with the election of George W....
. He finished third in the Republican primary with 18 percent of the vote, behind U.S. Rep. Bob Franks
Bob Franks
Robert Douglas "Bob" Franks was a Republican politician. He was a former U.S. Representative from New Jersey.-Biography:...
(36 percent) and State Senator William Gormley
William Gormley
William "Bill" Gormley is an attorney and former New Jersey State Senator who served from 1982 to 2007, where he represented the 2nd Legislative District....
(34 percent).
In November 2001, he announced he would again run for U.S. Senate, in the 2002 race
United States Senate election in New Jersey, 2002
The 2000 United States Senate election in New Jersey was held on November 5, 2002. Incumbent Democratic U.S. Senator Robert Torricelli decided to retire. Democrat Frank Lautenberg won the open seat.- Campaign :...
for the seat of incumbent Robert Torricelli
Robert Torricelli
Robert Guy Torricelli , nicknamed "the Torch," is an American politician from the U.S. state of New Jersey. Torricelli, a Democrat, served 14 years in the U.S. House of Representatives before being elected to the U.S. Senate...
. He withdrew from the race in April 2002, after it became known that he was a target of a federal investigation.
Indictment and conviction
On April 18, 2002, agents from the Federal Bureau of InvestigationFederal Bureau of Investigation
The Federal Bureau of Investigation is an agency of the United States Department of Justice that serves as both a federal criminal investigative body and an internal intelligence agency . The FBI has investigative jurisdiction over violations of more than 200 categories of federal crime...
and the Internal Revenue Service
Internal Revenue Service
The Internal Revenue Service is the revenue service of the United States federal government. The agency is a bureau of the Department of the Treasury, and is under the immediate direction of the Commissioner of Internal Revenue...
raided Treffinger's county office, carting away boxes of files, computers, and other materials. On October 28, Treffinger was arrested at his house in Verona. U.S. Attorney
United States Attorney for the District of New Jersey
The U.S. Attorney for the District of New Jersey is the chief federal law enforcement officer in New Jersey. Paul J. Fishman was sworn into office as U.S. Attorney on October 14, 2009 after having been nominated by President Barack Obama. He succeeded Ralph J. Marra, who served as Acting U.S....
Chris Christie announced that Treffinger had been charged in a 20-count indictment with extortion, fraud, obstructing a federal investigation and conspiracy. He was released on $100,000 bail.
On May 31, 2003, shortly before his trial was scheduled to begin, Treffinger pleaded guilty to one count of obstruction of justice and one count of mail fraud, admitting that he had solicited an illegal $15,000 campaign contribution in exchange for a county contract, and that he had placed two people on the Essex County payroll who instead worked on his 2000 Senate campaign. The remaining counts were dismissed as part of the plea agreement. On October 17, he was sentenced to 13 months in prison. Treffinger had sought a lighter sentence, saying he was "a new man, a better man" after converting from Catholicism
Catholicism
Catholicism is a broad term for the body of the Catholic faith, its theologies and doctrines, its liturgical, ethical, spiritual, and behavioral characteristics, as well as a religious people as a whole....
to Baptism
Baptism
In Christianity, baptism is for the majority the rite of admission , almost invariably with the use of water, into the Christian Church generally and also membership of a particular church tradition...
and joining an evangelical Baptist congregation in Bloomfield
Bloomfield, New Jersey
Bloomfield is a township in Essex County, New Jersey, United States. As of the 2010 United States Census, the township population was 47,315. It surrounds the Bloomfield Green Historic District.-History:...
after his arrest.
In December 2004, Treffinger was released from federal prison into the custody of a Newark halfway house. In April 2006, he agreed to pay $171,000 to settle an investigation by the Federal Election Commission
Federal Election Commission
The Federal Election Commission is an independent regulatory agency that was founded in 1975 by the United States Congress to regulate the campaign finance legislation in the United States. It was created in a provision of the 1975 amendment to the Federal Election Campaign Act...
over improper use of campaign funds to pay his legal fees. In November 2007, it was reported that Treffinger had enrolled at the Princeton Theological Seminary
Princeton Theological Seminary
Princeton Theological Seminary is a theological seminary of the Presbyterian Church located in the Borough of Princeton, New Jersey in the United States...
and was planning to start a ministry for prison inmates.
External links
- Biographical information for James W. Treffinger from The Political GraveyardThe Political GraveyardThe Political Graveyard is a website and database that catalogues information on more than 224,000 American political figures and political families, along with other information.-History:...