Essex Sheriff Fined For Campaign Violations

State elections regulators have fined Essex County Sheriff Frank Cousins $10,000 for several "serious breaches of campaign finance law."

The state Office of Campaign and Political Finance found Cousins' campaign committed 102 separate violations involving the money orders and corporate contributions during his last re-election campaign, as well as an unspecified number of violations for accepting cash from unnamed donors.

The illegal contributions occurred over a four-year period that ended in November, when the Republican defeated Democrat Damian Anketell to win a third term.

Cousins took full responsibility. He told The Salem News that the illegal contributions amounted to less than $10,000 of the $1 million his campaign took in and said it would not happen again.