NEWARK — Bloomfield First Ward Councilman Elias Chalet pleaded guilty Tuesday to a second-degree bribery charge, admitting he solicited and accepted $15,000 from a resident trying to sell his property to the township.
Former Bloomfield, NJ
First Ward Councilman Elias Chalet. (File photo)
Asked by defense attorney Peter W. Till whether he accepted the payments, Chalet, standing before the court in a dark suit, responded: “I sure did.”
Chalet, a Democrat, was arrested in November 2015 by investigators with the state Attorney General’s Office, which later obtained an indictment against him on charges of official misconduct, bribery, evidence tampering and hindering apprehension.
Chalet, who previously faced a recall attempt, was ordered to give up his council post and faces a lifetime ban on public employment. Speaking to reporters outside court, Till said Chalet’s forfeiture of the council seat was in effect as of the plea.
