Zachary Cole-Borghi, the Lehigh County Commissioner accused of more than 100 drug-related crimes, was released on bail Tuesday. Court records show that a family member put up real estate as collateral for Cole-Borghi’s $50,000 bond.
His attorney, Gary Asteak, said Cole-Borghi is glad to be out so that he can work on clearing his name.
“Zach, as a county commissioner, had the unique opportunity to observe the Lehigh County Prison from the inside. Now he’s anxious to proceed, to defend himself, from the outside,” Asteak said.
Cole-Borghi, 35, of Bethlehem, is among more than three dozen people charged in a multistate drug operation following a grand jury investigation. At his preliminary hearing last week, a police informant testified that he delivered a pound of marijuana to Cole-Borghi in 2024.
Detectives say Cole-Borghi’s text messages show that he made numerous drug transactions in locations across the Lehigh Valley, including a commissioner’s meeting and while attending the Peace and Justice Symposium in March 2025 at Northampton Community College.
The Lehigh County commissioners meet Wednesday night. Cole-Borghi is still on the board, according to the county website. Several of his fellow commissioners have urged him to step down.