A New Jersey attorney and local politician has pleaded guilty to accepting an improper referral fee for advising a local police officer in the process of suing the municipal government in a whistleblower matter.

Haddon Township Commissioner Paul Dougherty, who resigned on Oct. 16, pleaded guilty before Camden County Superior Court Judge Edward McBride Jr. to a single charge of third-degree conspiracy to confer an unlawful benefit on a public official, according to a release from Attorney General Gurbir Grewal.

Dougherty will likely be sentenced to probation, the release said.

Dougherty, as part of the plea agreement, is to forfeit his position as a Haddon Township commissioner, an elected position, and will be permanently barred from holding any public office. He also serves as a municipal prosecutor in Cherry Hill and Medford.

“He's very sorry for the mistakes he made,” said Dougherty's attorney, Collingswood solo Edward Crisonino. “He's paying a very high price.”

Dougherty has been a commissioner since 2007.

Dougherty, according to Crisonino, contacted the state Office of Attorney Ethics after the guilty plea and expects to face disciplinary action in addition to his criminal sentence.

According to the release, Dougherty was contacted by Officer Denise Brodo in 2013 to complain about “having issues with her superiors” and about having been suspended. The office did not provide details about the underlying issue.

Dougherty advised her that she had a basis for a lawsuit, and referred her to Kevin Costello of Costello & Mains in Mount Laurel.

The release noted that the lawsuit eventually settled for $48,000 in 2015.

Of that, the Costello firm was paid $21,000, and the firm paid Dougherty $7,106 as a referral fee.

Dougherty returned the referral fee after learning that he was under investigation by the state Division of Criminal Justice, according to the release.

Costello declined to comment.

The release said Dougherty engaged in a “clear conflict of interest” when he advised Brodo, because of his status as a commissioner.

Deputy Attorney General Brian Uzdavinis represented the state. The release noted that the matter was referred to the division by the Camden County Prosecutor's Office.

Sentencing for Dougherty is scheduled for Dec. 14.

According to media reports, Dougherty still faces separate criminal charges of leaving the scene of an accident and driving without a license in connection with a July 19 car accident.