A judge has ordered the Camden County GOP’s former chairman to pay nearly $1,000 after failing to comply with a subpoena in a libel lawsuit that state Sen. Paul Moriarty (D-Washington) leveled against the county party last year.
Moriarty sued the Camden GOP and its previous chairman, Thomas Crone Jr., for defamation over a mailer distributed in the days leading up to the Democrat’s election to the state Senate in 2023. The mailer allegedly called Moriarty a “drunk driver,” an apparent reference to an unlawful DWI arrest in 2012 that led to the firing of a Washington Township police officer and a $50,000 settlement.
The Camden GOP, now chaired by Kimberley Stuart, denied distributing the mailer in a legal filing.
Crone, however, failed to comply with a subpoena that asked for his testimony and relevant documents. Late last week, Superior Court Judge Steven Polansky ordered Crone to pay $934 in attorney fees for his “previous failure to comply” with the subpoena and demanded he appear for a deposition next Tuesday. Polansky ruled that if Crone fails to appear that day, the Republican will be held in contempt and could face discipline, including “incarceration for his willful non-compliance.”
Crone said he would need to speak with his attorney before commenting.
Stuart ousted Crone as Camden GOP chair in early July 2024.
DWI charges against Moriarty were dropped after authorities found Washington Township police officer Joseph DiBuonaventura lied about the initial reasons for the stop. DiBuonaventura faced more than a dozen criminal charges stemming from the incident and was acquitted in a 2015 trial.
In his lawsuit, Moriarty accused the Camden GOP of distributing the mailer on or about Oct. 30, about one week before Election Day in 2023. The mailer included a disclaimer that stated the Camden GOP paid for the attack.
Moriarty, who represented the 4th legislative district in the Assembly from 2006 to 2024, defeated Republican former Washington Township Councilmember Christopher Del Borrello for the Senate seat by about 10 percentage points in the 2023 general election.
Moriarty’s complaint said he requested a retraction and a public apology from Crone after the election, but alleges the former chair declined.
In addition to being the county chair, Stuart represents the Camden GOP in the case. In her answer to Moriarty’s complaint, she denied the allegations that the organization disseminated the mailer. In the reply, she said the party acted “reasonably” and claimed Moriarty is “unable to demonstrate any actual damage, injury or loss.”
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