L. Harvey Smith

L. Harvey Smith serves in the state Assembly, representing the 31st District.

On July 23, 2009, Smith was charged with conspiracy to commit extortion under color of official right by the FBI. He is charged with taking $15,000 in bribes from a purported developer to help get approvals from officials at the state Department of Transportation and Department of Environmental Protection for development projects. The alleged payments came both during his unsuccessful 2009 run for mayor, and after. (You can read the criminal complaint here.)

Smith was first elected to the City Council in 1993 as an At-Large member, and served in that position until 2001, when he was elected Council President. When Mayor Glenn Cunningham died while in office in 2004, Smith served as Acting Mayor from May to November, when he lost the special mayoral election to fill out Cunningham’s term. He also served briefly in the state Senate in 2003, when he filled out the unexpired term of Joseph Charles.

Smith was formerly Hudson County undersheriff, but he resigned that position in early 2009 to concentrate on his mayoral bid. Prior to that, he worked in the city’s public schools as a teacher and academic advisor.

READ JCI STORIES ON SMITH

Smith News


  • Corruption charge dropped against former state official
    Press of Atlantic City
    In five trials stemming from the arrests, four people were convicted and two, Ridgefield Mayor Anthony Suarez and former state Assemblyman L. Harvey Smith, were acquitted. Voicemail messages left Tuesday for Castagna and his attorney were not returned.

    and more »