Republican Branchville, Frankford Commissioner Faked Military Status For Tax Break: AG

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Commissioner Bill Hayden Indicted For Tax Fraud: AG

A sitting Sussex County Commissioner has been indicted for falsely claiming a veteran’s exemption on a New Jersey tax return, officials said.

William “Bill” Hayden

Bill Hayden

William “Bill” Hayden, 58, of Frankford Township, was charged with one count of filing a fraudulent tax return (3rd degree), according to an announcement made by New Jersey Attorney General Matthew J. Platkin and the Division of Criminal Justice (DCJ) on Tuesday, July 15.

Hayden, who was elected to the Sussex County Board of Commissioners on Nov. 8, 2022, is also employed as a Region North Permit Supervisor with the New Jersey Department of Transportation


, according to the public government website.

According to court documents, on July 14, 2020, Hayden allegedly filed, prepared, or caused to be filed a fraudulent New Jersey Gross Income Tax Return for the tax year ending December 31, 2019. Prosecutors say the return falsely marked the box for “Spouse/CU Partner Veteran,” even though Hayden is not a veteran.

As a result, he received a $6,000 exemption, avoiding approximately $382 in taxes, the Attorney General’s Office said.

Following the announcement, the Sussex County Democratic Committee issued a statement calling Commissioner Hayden a “coward” and the “very worst of his party.”

“Bill Hayden is a coward and the very worst of his party, who protected him and his lies until it was no longer politically expedient as his lies came to light,” Chairwoman Zoe Heath said.

The committee claimed it had raised concerns about Hayden long before the “alleged stolen valor story was public,” pointing to what they described as “extremist and dishonorable behavior.” “That was largely emboldened by the Sussex County Republican establishment,” the statement said.

The charge is being prosecuted by Deputy Attorney General Christopher Scerbo.

A third-degree conviction in New Jersey can carry a prison sentence of three to five years and a fine of up to $15,000, officials said.

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