NJ Sen. President’s Top Staffer To Plead Guilty To Tax Charges: Report

UNION COUNTY - New Jersey Senate President Nick Scutari’s chief of staff is slated to plead guilty to federal tax charges after stepping down from his role this week, Scutari’s office confirmed to several media outlets.

Tony Teixeira, a longtime player in Union County politics, will be resigning from his post as the top aide to the second-most-powerful elected position in the state after admitting to federal tax violations, Scutari (D-Union) said. Tim Lydon is on tap to serve as Scutari’s acting chief of staff, the official added.

Lydon is also the executive director of the Senate Democratic office and will be holding both positions, according to NJ.com.

“I am glad Tony is accepting responsibility for his personal financial actions,” the Senate president said in a statement shared with several publications. "Whether you are in elected office or serving as a member of staff, residents deserve the highest of standards and public officials beyond reproach.”

The New Jersey Globe, which first broke the news, reports that Teixeira will be pleading guilty to income tax evasion and mail fraud next month.

“We constantly strive to earn the trust and confidence of the people of New Jersey, and I look forward to continuing our hard work on behalf of our great State,” Scutari said.

An email from Patch to Scutari’s office seeking further information was not immediately returned.

Teixeira was reportedly listed in a 2021 subpoena from the state Attorney General’s Office seeking information regarding payments from Sean Caddle, a Hamburg man at the center of a murder-for-hire scheme that resulted in the 2014 death of a Jersey City man, according to NorthJersey.com. Read more: Murder For Hire: Hamburg Man Pleads Guilty, U.S. Attorney Says

One source told NJ.com that Teixeira’s charges aren’t related to the murder plot but was discovered as a result of the investigation.

Caddle worked as a consultant and aide to former N.J. state Sen. Ray Lesniak (D-Westfield), Politico reported, while Teixeira was the chief of staff to the same official. Court documents did not name the person who was killed, but Politico reported that the details of the case matched the circumstances surrounding the death of Michael Galdieri, who worked with Caddle’s consulting firm Arkady.

Galdieri was the son of another former state senator, James Galdieri (D-Jersey City).

NorthJersey.com reports the state demanded intel regarding around $50,000 in payments from Caddle and his consulting firm to Teixeira and his wife from 2015 and 2017. Caddle reportedly told the same publication that Teixeira was not employed by Arkady, but that he was paid by Caddle.

Teixeira “unquestionably endured his share of hardships, and while he has served the public in many admirable capacities and is a friend, nonetheless he erred and I acknowledge that,” Scutari added in his statement.