Democrat Official Arrested After Three-Year Drug Investigation

A Democrat elected official has been arrested following a grand jury investigation into a multi-state drug operation.

Lehigh County Commissioner Zach Cole-Borghi was one of 22 people taken into custody after the three-year probe.

He was arrested at Bethlehem City Hall and has been released after posting $50,000 bail.

“The only information that I can provide is that Zach Cole-Borghi is no longer an employee of the City of Bethlehem,” Bethlehem Human Resources Director Michelle Cichocki said, according to Lehigh Valley News.

#BREAKING: Lehigh County Commissioners Zach Cole-Borghi (left) has been charged following a three-year grand jury investigation into an interstate drug ring.https://t.co/3PUqgcQVey

— LehighValleyNews.com (@LVNewsdotcom) August 29, 2025

LehighValleyNews.com has more:

Other arrests took place in Lehigh County, Montgomery County, Northampton County, Philadelphia, New York City, Chicago and Wisconsin, Holihan said. He did not identify other suspects but said they will be due in Lehigh County Court on Sept. 3 for their preliminary hearings.

Along with the series of arrests, authorities also seized more than $100,000 in cash; cryptocurrency; at least 25 firearms, including ghost guns and semi-automatic rifles; 2,000 pounds of marijuana; THC liquid; cocaine; and MDMA pills, also known as molly. State police also located and destroyed two clandestine drug labs in the Lehigh Valley, authorities said.

Cole-Borghi has been charged with possession with the intent to deliver a pound of marijuana and possession of marijuana, Holihan said.

Cole-Borghi’s alleged role in the drug ring remains unclear.

“The Lehigh County Drug Task Force with assistance from federal, state and local agencies executed 26 search warrants at businesses and homes in connection with the investigation,” Lehigh Valley Live stated.

Additional search warrants were carried out on 283 financial institution accounts and various cryptocurrency accounts.

Democrat Lehigh County Commissioner Arrested at City Hall In Massive Multi-State Drug Bust https://t.co/rCt7T6yqCP

— The Gateway Pundit (@gatewaypundit) August 31, 2025

Lehigh Valley Live noted:

Cole-Borghi, a Democrat, was elected county commissioner for District 3 in the Nov. 2, 2021, Municipal General Election. Commissioners serve four-year terms. He won an uncontested Democratic primary to seek re-election this year.

Cole-Borghi did not immediately respond to an email to his commissioner’s address seeking comment.

Bethlehem’s human resources director, Michelle Cichocki, told lehighvalleylive.com on Friday that Cole-Borghi is no longer a city employee as of Thursday and that he had served as legal assistant and open-records officer with the solicitor’s office.

WFMZ-TV provided additional coverage: