John S. Windish, a former councilman from Mount Arlington in Morris County, New Jersey, has pleaded guilty to conspiracy to commit bribery. The 72-year-old admitted to accepting a bribe in exchange for supporting an attorney's bid for reappointment as the municipal attorney of Mount Arlington.
The plea was entered during a virtual hearing on May 29, 2025, before Judge Peter Tober of the New Jersey Superior Court. As part of his plea agreement with the Office of Public Integrity and Accountability (OPIA) Corruption Bureau, Windish will forfeit $7,000 received from the crime and is permanently barred from holding any public office in New Jersey.
"Elected officials who can be bought violate the law and are not worthy of the trust given by the electorate," stated Attorney General Matthew J. Platkin. He emphasized that decisions involving taxpayer dollars should prioritize community interests over personal gain.
Drew Skinner, Executive Director of OPIA, added that those selling their public office for personal gain would face investigation and prosecution.
Windish is set to receive noncustodial probation at his sentencing on July 17, 2025. Court documents revealed that he solicited an unlawful campaign contribution from an attorney during his re-election bid in 2018. In return for $7,000 cash received at a Hanover hotel, Windish promised support for the attorney's reappointment as borough attorney. Despite this arrangement, Windish lost his primary election shortly after receiving the bribe and has not held public office since.
The case also involves other defendants accused of receiving separate bribes: Sudhan Thomas (former Jersey City Board of Education President), Jason O’Donnell (former State Assemblyman and Bayonne mayoral candidate), John Cesaro (former Morris County Freeholder), and Mary Dougherty (former freeholder candidate). These individuals allegedly accepted bribes from a cooperating witness who is a tax attorney.
While cases against Thomas, O’Donnell, and Cesaro are pending with all charges being mere accusations until proven otherwise in court; Dougherty pleaded guilty to false swearing on February 19, 2021. She was sentenced to probation on March 18, 2021.
The prosecution team included Assistant Attorneys General Michael Grillo and Andrew Wellbrock along with Deputy Attorney General Adam Gerken under supervision by Bureau Co-Directors Jeffrey Manis and Eric Gibson as well as OPIA Director Skinner.
Defense attorneys representing Windish were Matthew Priore Esq., and Scott DeRosa Esq.
