{{short description|American politician}} {{Infobox officeholder | image = | name = Daniel Van Pelt | state_assembly1 = New Jersey | district1 = 9th | term_start1 = January 8, 2008 | term_end1 = July 31, 2009 | alongside1 = Brian E. Rumpf | predecessor1 = Christopher J. Connors | successor1 = DiAnne Gove | birth_date = {{birth date and age|1964|09|04}} | birth_place = Elizabeth, New Jersey | spouse = | party = Republican | alma_mater = The College of New Jersey (BS)<br>Regent University (MA) | occupation = | website = }} '''Daniel M. Van Pelt''' (born September 4, 1964) is an American Republican politician, who served in the New Jersey General Assembly from January 8, 2008, until July 31, 2009, when he resigned after being arrested in connection with Operation Bid Rig on federal corruption charges for allegedly accepting a $10,000 bribe. He was later convicted and sentenced to 41 months in prison. In the Assembly, he represented the 9th legislative district.<ref>Weaver, Donna. [https://www.pressofatlanticcity.com/news/local/former-assemblyman-daniel-van-pelt-sentenced-to-months-in-prison/article_5f454176-f36a-11df-8391-001cc4c002e0.html "Former Assemblyman Daniel Van Pelt sentenced to 41 months in prison"], ''The Press of Atlantic City'', November 20, 2010. Accessed November 19, 2022.</ref>
==Education and career== Born in Elizabeth, New Jersey, Van Pelt graduated in 1982 from Toms River High School East.<ref>[https://books.google.com/books?id=SGUkAQAAIAAJ&q=%22Assemblyman+Van+Pelt+was+born+in+Elizabeth+on+Sept.+4+,+1964.+He+graduated+from+Toms+River+High+School+East+in+1982.%22 ''Manual of the Legislature of New Jersey, 2009''], p.264. {{ISBN|9781577413233}}. Accessed November 19, 2022. "Assemblyman Van Pelt was born in Elizabeth on Sept. 4, 1964. He graduated from Toms River High School East in 1982."</ref> He received a B.S. from The College of New Jersey with a major in Criminal Justice and an M.A. from Regent University in Public Policy and Government.<ref name=NJLEG/> He was the Township Administrator of Lumberton Township, New Jersey, a position that paid him an annual salary of $85,000.<ref>Provida, lee. [http://pressofatlanticcity.com/news/breaking/article_c900b548-78cb-11de-b13b-001cc4c03286.html "Van Pelt ignores resignation calls"], ''The Press of Atlantic City'', July 25, 2009. Accessed July 27, 2009.</ref> The Lumberton Township Committee fired him on July 25, 2009, in the wake of his arrest on federal corruption charges.<ref>Harper, Derek. [http://www.pressofatlanticcity.com/news/breaking/article_f6dfe548-7956-11de-8998-001cc4c03286.html "Van Pelt fired from his job as administrator"]{{dead link|date=September 2017 |bot=InternetArchiveBot |fix-attempted=yes }}, ''The Press of Atlantic City'', July 25, 2009. Accessed July 31, 2009.</ref>
==Government service== Van Pelt served on the governing body of Ocean Township from 1998 until February 2009, most of those years as the township's mayor.<ref name=NJLEG/>
He simultaneously held a seat in the New Jersey General Assembly and as Mayor in 2008. This dual position, often called double dipping, is allowed under a grandfather clause in the state law enacted by the New Jersey Legislature and signed into law by Governor of New Jersey Jon Corzine in September 2007 that prevents dual-office-holding but allows those who had held both positions as of February 1, 2008, to retain both posts.<ref>via ''Associated Press''. [https://6abc.com/archive/6038619/ "N.J. Lawmakers keep double dipping"], ''WPVI-TV'', March 4, 2008. Accessed June 4, 2009.</ref>
Van Pelt had served on the Assembly's Environment and Solid Waste Committee and the Military and Veterans' Affairs Committee.<ref name=NJLEG>[http://www.njleg.state.nj.us/members/BIO.asp?Leg=274 Assemblyman Van Pelt's legislative web page] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080113111818/http://www.njleg.state.nj.us/members/BIO.asp?Leg=274 |date=2008-01-13 }}, New Jersey Legislature. Accessed January 22, 2008.</ref> Assembly Speaker Joseph J. Roberts removed him from those positions the day of Van Pelt's arrest.<ref name=PoAC22090727>Procida, Lee. [http://www.pressofatlanticcity.com/news/press/ocean/article_6dc82799-c961-50c0-b18f-0877607323da.html "Van Pelt met five times with FBI witness"], ''The Press of Atlantic City'', July 24, 2009. Accessed July 27, 2009.</ref>
==Operation Bid Rig== Van Pelt was one of 44 individuals arrested on July 23, 2009, as part of Operation Bid Rig, a joint operation of the FBI, IRS, and the United States Attorney for the District of New Jersey into corruption and money laundering that began with investigations into counterfeit merchandise and international money laundering. Van Pelt was charged with accepting a $10,000 bribe.<ref>Ryan, Joe. [http://www.nj.com/news/index.ssf/2009/07/feds_charge_44_with_corruption.html "Feds charge 44 with corruption including two N.J. assemblymen, three mayors"], ''The Star-Ledger'', July 23, 2009. Accessed July 23, 2009.</ref><ref name=CORRUPT>[https://www.bloomberg.com/apps/news?pid=20601103&sid=adFAa906rRYY Bloomberg.com], Bloomberg L.P. Accessed July 23, 2009.</ref>
Van Pelt resigned from the Assembly on July 31, more than a week after his arrest. He maintained his innocence, but said that his "current situation would only serve as a distraction, and I would do a disservice to those who elected me to do a job." Van Pelt also withdrew from his re-election bid.<ref>Procida, Lee. [http://www.pressofatlanticcity.com/news/press/atlantic/article_a3ee3290-7e15-11de-be92-001cc4c03286.html "Van Pelt resigns, citing public's 'outrage' over corruption charges"], ''The Press of Atlantic City'', July 31, 2009. Accessed July 31, 2009.</ref>
On August 12, Republican county committee members selected Long Beach Township Commissioner DiAnne C. Gove to fill the remainder of Van Pelt's term and to take his spot on the ballot.<ref>{{cite news |title=Long Beach Commissioner Gove to succeed Van Pelt in Assembly |url=http://www.app.com/article/20090812/NEWS/908120380/1070/NEWS02/Long+Beach+Commissioner+Gove+to+succeed+Van+Pelt+in+Assembly |work=Asbury Park Press |date=2009-08-12 |accessdate=2009-08-13 }} {{Dead link|date=October 2010|bot=H3llBot}}</ref>
Van Pelt was convicted on May 19, 2010, of accepting a $10,000 bribe to provide environmental permits for an Ocean Township development project.<ref>Spoto, MaryAnn. [http://www.nj.com/news/index.ssf/2010/05/former_assemblyman_daniel_van_1.html "Ex-N.J. Assemblyman Daniel Van Pelt is convicted of taking $10K bribe"], NJ Advance Media for ''NJ.com'', May 19, 2010. Accessed November 19, 2022</ref> On November 19, 2010, he was sentenced to 41 months in federal prison.<ref>{{cite news |title=Van Pelt Sentenced In New Jersey Corruption Case |url=http://newyork.cbslocal.com/2010/11/19/van-pelt-sentenced-in-new-jersey-corruption-case/ |work=CBS New York}}</ref> He was released in December 2013.
==References== {{Reflist}}
==External links== *''New Jersey Legislature financial disclosure forms'' **[http://www.njleg.state.nj.us/ethics/FinancialDisclosure/VanPeltD2008.pdf 2008] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110606222957/http://www.njleg.state.nj.us/ethics/FinancialDisclosure/VanPeltD2008.pdf |date=2011-06-06 }} [http://www.njleg.state.nj.us/ethics/FinancialDisclosure/VanPeltD2007.pdf 2007] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080529110852/http://www.njleg.state.nj.us/ethics/FinancialDisclosure/VanPeltD2007.pdf |date=2008-05-29 }} *[http://www.usdoj.gov/usao/nj/press/press/files/pdffiles/Van%20Pelt%20complaint.pdf Van Pelt criminal complaint]{{dead link|date=September 2017 |bot=InternetArchiveBot |fix-attempted=yes }}, United States Department of Justice, July 23, 2009
{{DEFAULTSORT:Van Pelt, Daniel}} Category:1964 births Category:Living people Category:Politicians convicted of extortion under color of official right Category:Politicians convicted of program bribery Category:Politicians from Ocean County, New Jersey Category:Republican Party members of the New Jersey General Assembly Category:Mayors of places in New Jersey Category:New Jersey city council members Category:Politicians from Elizabeth, New Jersey Category:People from Ocean Township, Ocean County, New Jersey Category:Regent University alumni Category:The College of New Jersey alumni Category:Toms River High School East alumni Category:Operation Bid Rig Category:New Jersey politicians convicted of corruption Category:New Jersey politicians convicted of crimes Category:20th-century mayors of places in New Jersey Category:21st-century mayors of places in New Jersey Category:21st-century members of the New Jersey Legislature