Former Lumberton Township mayor Gina LaPlaca and her husband have been charged after prosecutors alleged that false signatures were used on her nominating petition for a Democratic primary contest. The case matters because it concerns the integrity of the election process and adds to the legal troubles of a local official who remains on the township committee.

LaPlaca faces allegations including making a false statement under oath, knowingly filing a false petition and tampering with public records; her husband was also charged in connection with the petition. The charges follow her earlier guilty plea in a DUI case in which her child was in the car.