Councilman quits after getting caught in mail scandal

🚨 Richard Bennett was a member of the Washington Township council

🚨 The Republican was charged in connection with letters sent to BOE members

🚨 His name is no longer on the township website as a council member

WASHINGTON TOWNSHIP (Gloucester)  — A township committee member charged in connection with unsigned letters sent to two members of the Board of Education has stepped down.

NJ Globe reported that Richard Bennett has submitted his resignation. Bennett's name is no longer listed on the township website as a member of the council. The council's next meeting is on Wednesday.  A special election will be held in November to fill the seat.

Bennett, a Republican, was charged with two counts of harassment and two counts of forgery for allegedly sending threatening letters to two Democratic Board of Education members.  Bennett was also caught on U.S. Postal Service surveillance video stamping and mailing the letters at the Sicklerville beach.

The letters contained a similar message with a long run-on sentence.

"Evil, drunk at BOE meetings boozing, stupid personal agenda for dems, forgetting about kids, shameful, dishonest, playing games with the superintendent job, time to step down and you are a disgrace, did not even review the line items on the budget or talk to [redacted], you are a disgrace and God is watching your actions!!!"

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How police built the case against  Councilman Richard Bennett

Using the postal processing code on the envelope, Washington Township detectives were able to determine the letter was mailed from the post office on Hurffville Crosskeys Road, according to the affidavit.

He was the liaison between the municipal governing body and the Board of Education, according to InsiderNJ.com.

Township offices were closed Tuesday for the state primary.

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