Evelyn Williams (politician)

Evelyn Williams is an American Democratic Party politician who briefly served in the New Jersey General Assembly representing the 28th Legislative District.

She was elected in two special convention votes in 2005 to succeed Donald Kofi Tucker who died on October 17, 2005. Williams, a resident of Newark's South Ward, was elected to replace Tucker for the remainder of the 2004-2006 term and to serve until a special election could be held in November 2006 to fill the remainder of the 2006-2008 term Tucker began serving in 2005.^[1]

Williams was arrested the week of December 22, 2005 on charges of shoplifting from an Irvington, New Jersey discount store. Following her arrest, both the Newark Star-Ledger and political website PoliticsNJ.com ran a series of articles on her, exposing her alleged theft of a hefty state pension normally reserved for policeman and firemen in active duty that she should not have qualified for.

In January 2006, she was also accused of failing to pay election workers assisting with the gubernatorial campaign of fellow Democrat Jon Corzine.

On January 6, 2006, Williams submitted a letter of resignation to Essex County Democratic Chair Phil Thigpen announcing her intentions to step down to clear up "misconceptions" regarding her conduct. She was replaced by Oadline Truitt at a meeting of the Essex County Democratic Committee on January 9, 2006, one day before the New Jersey General Assembly reorganized for the 2006 session.^[2] During her service as an assemblywoman, she attended one voting session of the Assembly.

Williams worked in social services for the Essex County Department of Corrections until she was fired in December 2005 of charges related to improperly collecting her pension. She previously served as Deputy Mayor of Newark and as President of the Newark Board of Education.

^ Edge, Wally. "The latest in Newark and the 28th District", The New York Observer, October 19, 2005. Accessed June 12, 2018. "A funeral service for the late Donald Tucker, a Newark city councilman and assemblyman from the 28th District, is scheduled for next Tuesday.... One insider said the early favorite is Evelyn Williams, the Democratic leader in Newark's South Ward and a former school board member."
^ Edge, Wally. "No guarantees for Oadline Truitt", The New York Observer, January 10, 2006. Accessed June 12, 2018. "Democrats say that the selection of a 65-year-old school librarian to represent Essex County in the State Assembly may be a short-term solution following the resignation of Evelyn Williams this week. Oadline Truitt, who has spent thirty years as a Democratic District Leader in Newark's South Ward, will enter the Legislature this month without any guarantees of serving more than ten months in the seat initially left vacant following the October death of Donald Tucker."

[1] Edge, Wally. "The latest in Newark and the 28th District", The New York Observer, October 19, 2005. Accessed June 12, 2018. "A funeral service for the late Donald Tucker, a Newark city councilman and assemblyman from the 28th District, is scheduled for next Tuesday.... One insider said the early favorite is Evelyn Williams, the Democratic leader in Newark's South Ward and a former school board member."

[2] Edge, Wally. "No guarantees for Oadline Truitt", The New York Observer, January 10, 2006. Accessed June 12, 2018. "Democrats say that the selection of a 65-year-old school librarian to represent Essex County in the State Assembly may be a short-term solution following the resignation of Evelyn Williams this week. Oadline Truitt, who has spent thirty years as a Democratic District Leader in Newark's South Ward, will enter the Legislature this month without any guarantees of serving more than ten months in the seat initially left vacant following the October death of Donald Tucker."

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