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Pemberton’s former finance chief seeks reinstatement in dispute over $195,660 phishing loss
Candice Pennewell says Pemberton Township fired her in retaliation for raising concerns about a waste contract; the township says her dismissal followed leadership and performance concerns tied to a fraudulent payment. Her lawsuit seeks reinstatement, back pay and benefits.
Pemberton Township’s former chief financial officer is suing to regain her job, arguing she was fired in retaliation for reporting alleged ethics and spending violations. Township officials say the decision was based on concerns about her leadership and handling of a $195,660 payment lost in a phishing scam.
Candice Pennewell filed the lawsuit Oct. 9 in Burlington County Superior Court. She is seeking reinstatement and salary and benefits retroactive to Aug. 26, the date the township terminated her. The suit says she was dismissed one day after alerting officials to a possible state-law violation involving a waste-collection contract.
The dispute also centers on a June 4 electronic payment to an account that appeared to belong to a vendor working with the township but was fraudulent, according to the complaint. Pennewell says she was on paid leave when the payment was made and that two other township employees approved it. She says she contacted the bank after learning five days later that the vendor’s email had been hacked and asked that the payment be reversed.
Pennewell’s complaint alleges that township officials blamed her for the loss despite her absence from work. It also says human resources manager Anna Shaker was present when Pennewell asked about reversing the payment and was responsible for notifying township officials. Mayor Matt Bianchini, however, has said Pennewell authorized the payment.
The lawsuit further argues that her firing violated New Jersey’s Open Public Meetings Act because, it alleges, there was no council vote, notice or public hearing about the decision.
Bianchini said the township will contest the claims. In an Oct. 16 statement, he said Pennewell’s termination stemmed from “legitimate concerns regarding her leadership, performance, and handling of serious financial matters,” not retaliation. He described the incident as a significant lapse in leadership and said the township would present evidence in court. He also defended township officials’ conduct regarding the waste contract.
Pennewell was appointed CFO in December 2022 and began a second four-year term on Jan. 1, 2026. Her annual salary was $135,000 through 2025. Shaker declined to comment on the lawsuit, and Pennewell’s attorneys did not respond to requests for comment.
The competing accounts leave key questions about responsibility for the fraudulent payment and the circumstances of Pennewell’s dismissal to be resolved through the legal process. The township says it intends to vigorously defend itself.