# Daniel Van Pelt

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{{short description|American politician}}
{{Infobox officeholder
| image           =
| name            = Daniel Van Pelt
| state_assembly1 = New Jersey
| district1       = [9th](/source/New_Jersey's_9th_legislative_district)
| term_start1     = January 8, 2008
| term_end1       = July 31, 2009
| alongside1      = [Brian E. Rumpf](/source/Brian_E._Rumpf)
| predecessor1    = [Christopher J. Connors](/source/Christopher_J._Connors)
| successor1      = [DiAnne Gove](/source/DiAnne_Gove)
| birth_date      = {{birth date and age|1964|09|04}}
| birth_place     = [Elizabeth, New Jersey](/source/Elizabeth%2C_New_Jersey)
| spouse          = 
| party           = [Republican](/source/Republican_Party_(United_States))
| alma_mater      = [The College of New Jersey](/source/The_College_of_New_Jersey) ([BS](/source/Bachelor_of_Science))<br>[Regent University](/source/Regent_University) ([MA](/source/Master_of_Arts))
| occupation      = 
| website         =  
}}
'''Daniel M. Van Pelt''' (born September 4, 1964) is an American [Republican](/source/Republican_Party_(United_States)) politician, who served in the [New Jersey General Assembly](/source/New_Jersey_General_Assembly) from January 8, 2008, until July 31, 2009, when he resigned after being arrested in connection with [Operation Bid Rig](/source/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](/source/New_Jersey's_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](/source/The_Press_of_Atlantic_City)'', November 20, 2010. Accessed November 19, 2022.</ref>

==Education and career==
Born in [Elizabeth, New Jersey](/source/Elizabeth%2C_New_Jersey), Van Pelt graduated in 1982 from [Toms River High School East](/source/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.](/source/Bachelor_of_Science) from [The College of New Jersey](/source/The_College_of_New_Jersey) with a major in Criminal Justice and an [M.A.](/source/Master_of_Arts) from [Regent University](/source/Regent_University) in Public Policy and Government.<ref name=NJLEG/> He was the Township Administrator of [Lumberton Township, New Jersey](/source/Lumberton_Township%2C_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](/source/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](/source/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](/source/Ocean_Township%2C_Ocean_County%2C_New_Jersey) 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](/source/double_dipping), is allowed under a grandfather clause in the state law enacted by the [New Jersey Legislature](/source/New_Jersey_Legislature) and signed into law by [Governor of New Jersey](/source/Governor_of_New_Jersey) [Jon Corzine](/source/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](/source/Associated_Press)''. [https://6abc.com/archive/6038619/ "N.J. Lawmakers keep double dipping"], ''[WPVI-TV](/source/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](/source/New_Jersey_Legislature). Accessed January 22, 2008.</ref> Assembly Speaker [Joseph J. Roberts](/source/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](/source/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](/source/Operation_Bid_Rig), a joint operation of the [FBI](/source/Federal_Bureau_of_Investigation), [IRS](/source/Internal_Revenue_Service), and the [United States Attorney for the District of New Jersey](/source/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](/source/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.](/source/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](/source/The_Press_of_Atlantic_City)'', July 31, 2009. Accessed July 31, 2009.</ref>

On August 12, Republican county committee members selected [Long Beach Township](/source/Long_Beach_Township%2C_New_Jersey) Commissioner [DiAnne C. Gove](/source/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](/source/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](/source/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](/source/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](/source/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

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Adapted from the Wikipedia article [Daniel Van Pelt](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Daniel_Van_Pelt) by Wikipedia contributors ([contributor history](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Daniel_Van_Pelt?action=history)). Available under [Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International](https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/). Changes may have been made.