Joseph Andl has worn many hats in the Township of Maple Shade, New Jersey. Andl has served as a Maple Shade Council Person, Maple Shade Mayor, school board member, Township Manager, and Freshman Soccer Coach for boys, to name a few of his positions.

In June of 2010 Andl was elected as the Chairman of the Burlington County Democratic Committee. Some opponents at that time claimed that Andl was just too aligned with South Jersey political power broker, George Norcross. Andl won that committee election when he defeated Mary Anne Reinhart by a vote of 171-87. Reinhart said she ran against Andl to give the party a choice in a candidate who was not controlled by a “core group” of people who had been controlling Burlington County for the past 15 years under several former Committee Chairman.

Rabble Rouser Media has recently learned through a series of public information OPRA requests that just seven months prior to Andl winning the election to become the Chairman of the Burlington County Democratic Committee, which is a position he still holds, a note was found by a Maple Shade Police Officer. Officer Dennis Nolan, who is now a Maple Shade police Lieutenant, found a note at the municipal building.

That note alleged that “underage drinking and sex” were taking place at “112 E Park Ave”, according to the police report obtained by Rabble Rouser Media. That 112 E Park Ave was the address at the time of Joseph Andl. It is not clear from available information today if police investigated the allegations in that note, even to determine if the allegations were merely malicious misinformation.

Joseph Andl has never been married, has no children, and at the time of this incident, was 38 years old. Andl was very active in the Maple Shade youth soccer program at that time. Just 10 months after the note was found alleging underage drinking and sex were taking place at Andl’s home, 17 boys from Germany came to Maple Shade and reportedly stayed with “families” in town. The trip from Germany was organized by Andl himself, who was quoted in a 2010 Burlington County Times article, stating “It’s really become an exchange,” says organizer Joe Andl. “A back and forth relationship between the two countries.”.

Rabble Rouser Media made several follow up requests with Maple Shade authorities for any investigative reports that existed about the allegation levied against Andl. However, Maple Shade PD has claimed that none exist. So, we asked Maple Shade PD whether or not an investigation was ever conducted, especially due to the seriousness of the allegations, and given Andl’s extremely close proximity to children in his position as a school board member and a soccer organizer/coach. The inquiry resulted in following response from Maple Shade Police Chief Christopher Fletcher;

“As you are aware, over 13 years ago in November 2009 the township located a single anonymous complaint regarding allegations of illegal activity involving minors at 112 E. Park Avenue in Maple Shade, NJ. With no victims ever coming forward to the Maple Shade Police Department or any other law enforcement entity that we are aware of and no way to independently substantiate the allegations without an identified victim(s) or with the limited information presented, no meaningful investigation could be conducted. The Chief of Police at the time retired in mid-2010. He has since passed away. No one here presently, over 13 years later, can speak to any other communication or efforts he may or may not have had or directed as the Chief with any outside law enforcement entities regarding this matter.”.

Since the officer who found the letter is still with the Maple Shade PD, we sent a follow email asking “It was Officer Nolan who found the letter and he is still employed by Maple Shade, so would it be possible for him to explain what the letter said, and what investigative procedures were undertaken at the time?  Would it be possible for (us) to speak with Officer Nolan?”.

Chief Fletcher responded “You have our official agency position on an incident that happened over 13 years ago involving an anonymous complaint with no identified victims and I will not be making Dennis Nolan available to answer questions on the matter.”.

Joseph Andl is also the Executive Director of the Burlington County Bridge Commission. A whistle blower at the Bridge commission reports that Andl uses his position to hire handsome young men who the whistle blower contends are not qualified for their positions. The whistle blower also claims that one of those new hires even lives with Andl, and that he took another new hire to an out of state conference with him. The whistle blower also claims that Andl uses his position to punish those who dare to question him, which also included some of his former political rivals who Andl had terminated.

We reached out to Joseph Andl, the Burlington County Democratic Committee, and the County Commissioners for a comment on the 2009 allegations made against Andl. All have refused to respond. We did however get a response from Maple Shade’s current Township Manager, who merely stated she was not employed in 2009, so she had no first-hand knowledge of the event.

Some assert that the non-investigation of allegations in that 2009 note was a page from the political playbook where players in positions of power receive different treatment and in this case, seemingly no treatment – in terms of even a cursory examination of the allegations.

For all we know it could have been a political rival that left the note, and or the local machine trying to gain leverage on the young up and coming political force.

But given Andl’s influence in Maple Shade Township at that time, that note should have been turned over to the County and or the State AG to avoid any appearances of impropriety and/or avoid the obvious conflicts of interest that existed in MSPD investigating the former Council member and Mayor of the Township.