Ex-NJ Mayor, Husband Charged For Using Fake Ballot Signatures After DUI
A former New Jersey mayor who previously pleaded guilty to driving drunk with her young child in the vehicle is facing another legal crisis—this time over allegations that fraudulent signatures helped place her name on a Democratic primary ballot.
Gina LaPlaca, the former mayor of Lumberton Township and a current member of its township committee, was charged Tuesday with making a false statement under oath, knowingly filing a false petition, tampering with public records, and falsifying or tampering with records, according to the Burlington County Prosecutor’s Office.
Her husband, Jason Carty, was charged with knowingly filing a false petition, tampering with public records, and falsifying or tampering with records.
The allegations center on LaPlaca’s nominating petition for the June Democratic primary.
Prosecutors Allege Signatures Were Unauthorized
Authorities say Carty submitted the petition to the Lumberton Township Municipal Clerk. It included an affidavit signed by LaPlaca declaring that she “personally circulated the petition [and] that such petition was signed by each of the signers thereof in his/her own handwriting.”
Investigators subsequently determined that both LaPlaca, 47, and Carty, 49, had collected signatures for the petition.
More seriously, prosecutors allege that several residents whose names appeared on the document said they had neither signed it nor authorized anyone else to sign on their behalf.
“An investigation by the Prosecutor’s Office revealed that multiple individuals whose names and purported signatures appeared on LaPlaca’s nominating petition indicated they had neither signed the petition nor authorized anyone to do so on their behalf in support of the candidate’s nomination,” the Burlington County Prosecutor’s Office said.
Without the disputed signatures, authorities determined, LaPlaca would not have met the threshold required to appear on the ballot for the June 2026 Democratic primary for Lumberton Township Committee.
LaPlaca and Carty are scheduled to appear in court Sept. 21 in Mount Holly.
Voters Rejected LaPlaca’s Comeback Attempt
LaPlaca served as Lumberton’s mayor from 2021 until 2025. Although she stepped down from that position, she retained her seat on the township committee, where her term is scheduled to expire in December.
She attempted to secure another committee term in the June Democratic primary but finished third in a contest for two seats. Current Mayor Terrance Benson and his running mate, Kendra Hatfield, finished ahead of her.
The latest charges therefore raise a stark question: Prosecutors allege LaPlaca relied on unauthorized signatures to obtain a ballot position, only for Democratic voters to reject her candidacy anyway.
Earlier DUI Case Involved Her Child
The election-related allegations follow LaPlaca’s guilty plea in a separate DUI case involving her young child.
Prosecutors said LaPlaca was heavily intoxicated in March 2025 when she picked up her child from daycare. Video recorded by a witness reportedly showed her vehicle swerving across lanes and nearly striking a utility pole while the child was inside.
Her blood-alcohol concentration was measured at 0.30 percent—more than three times New Jersey’s legal limit of 0.08 percent.
LaPlaca received three years of supervision through a pretrial intervention program that requires her to attend Alcoholics Anonymous meetings.
Taken together, the two cases present a troubling record for a Democratic officeholder entrusted with public responsibility. One involved reckless conduct that endangered a child; the other now involves allegations that public records were manipulated to keep her political career alive.
Election Integrity Begins With Genuine Signatures
Nominating petitions are not meaningless paperwork. They are intended to demonstrate that a candidate has obtained authentic support from enough voters to earn a place on the ballot.
If signatures are fabricated or submitted without authorization, the process is corrupted before voters even enter the polling place. That is why accurate petitions, transparent recordkeeping and equal enforcement of election laws are essential to maintaining public confidence.
LaPlaca and Carty are entitled to the presumption of innocence on the new charges. Prosecutors will bear the burden of proving their allegations in court.
LaPlaca’s DUI case, however, has already resulted in a guilty plea and court-ordered supervision. Her Sept. 21 appearance will now open the next chapter in a political downfall marked by personal recklessness and alleged electoral misconduct.
Lumberton voters already denied LaPlaca another term. The courts must now determine whether the signatures that helped place her before those voters were genuine—or manufactured.