Adler Bill To Increase Penalties For Misusing Public Resources Advances

TRENTON – A bill sponsored by Senator John H. Adler which would criminalize misusing public resources by non-profit entities was unanimously approved by the Assembly Judiciary Committee today.

“It’s sad that so many people still don’t realize they shouldn’t be taking government money for their own personal gain,” said Senator Adler, D-Cherry Hill, the Chair of the Senate Judiciary Committee. “Whether it’s official misconduct or private individuals defrauding the taxpayers, we need to attack corruption wherever it may appear.”

TRENTON – A package of bills sponsored by Senator Ellen Karcher which would protect public resources from corruption by increasing penalties for misuse of public resources and providing a mechanism to reclaim lost funds due to corruption were approved today by the Senate by a vote of 37-0.

“New Jersey taxpayers have suffered for too long from the inflated costs of corrupt government,” said Senator Karcher, D-Monmouth and Mercer, a leading watchdog for ethics reform in the State Legislature. “Public officials have taken advantage of their position for personal enrichment, and bilked taxpayers out of needed public resources. It’s high time we cracked down on those corrupt officials who have defrauded the public and wasted valuable public resources for the sake of a quick buck.”

TRENTON – A bill sponsored by Senator John H. Adler which would criminalize misusing public resources by private and non-profit entities was signed into law today by Governor Jon Corzine.

“We’ve seen far too many people in and around government try to take advantage of the public trust,” said Senator Adler, D-Cherry Hill. “It upsets me that these people don’t know the difference between right and wrong. Today we let those in the private and non-profit sectors know that corruption will no longer be tolerated.”

MARLBORO TOWNSHIP – Senator Barbara Buono, a leading proponent of ethics reform in the Senate, said the legislation she co-sponsored (S-1192 and S-1318) which Governor Corzine signed today is a long-overdue reaction to the broken trust between public officials and the people they serve.

“Silence can’t be golden when public corruption knocks at the front or the back door,” said Senator Buono, D-Middlesex. “These bills reflect an effort to express our collective outrage and to act so that the punishment fits the crime.”

TRENTON – A package of bills sponsored by Senator Ellen Karcher which would protect public resources from corruption by increasing penalties for misuse of public resources and providing a mechanism to reclaim lost funds due to corruption was unanimously approved today by the Assembly Judiciary Committee.

“Public corruption carries a very real cost for the taxpayers of New Jersey,” said Senator Karcher, D-Monmouth and Mercer, a leading watchdog for ethics reform in the State Legislature. “The greed of unscrupulous politicians and others who abuse the public trust has inflated the cost of living in the Garden State on the many honest, hard-working families the call our State home. We need to crack down on those bad actors who have disgraced public service with their corruption, and we need to give the people of this State a mechanism to reclaim lost funds.”

TRENTON – A bill sponsored by Senator John H. Adler which would criminalize misusing public resources was unanimously approved by the Senate Budget and Appropriations Committee today.

“New Jersey’s residents have long suffered from the effects of public corruption,” said Senator Adler, D-Cherry Hill, the Chair of the Senate Judiciary Committee. “Corruption and fraud increase the cost of government and waste precious taxpayer dollars. We need to take a hard-line approach against corruption, and close any loopholes corrupt officials might have to avoid penalty under the law.”

TRENTON – Senator Ellen Karcher, D-Monmouth and Mercer, a champion for ethics reform in the State Senate who sought out the FBI to uncover corruption in her hometown of Marlboro when she served as a councilwoman there, issued the following statement today regarding Senate Judiciary Committee’s unanimous approval of a bill she sponsored to impose mandatory minimum criminal sentences and loss of pensions for corrupt public officials:

“Today, the Judiciary Committee had a long and thoughtful discussion on a bill which would, rightfully, impose mandatory imprisonment and loss of pension benefits on corrupt officials who abuse the public trust.

TRENTON – A package of bills sponsored by Senator Ellen Karcher which would protect public resources from corruption by increasing penalties for misuse of public resources and providing a mechanism to reclaim lost funds due to corruption were unanimously approved by the Senate Budget and Appropriations Committee today.

“New Jersey’s taxpayers have paid the price for rampant corruption and fraud in government,” said Senator Karcher, D-Monmouth and Mercer, a leading watchdog for ethics reform in the State Legislature. “Millions of taxpayers’ dollars have been wasted enriching corrupt and unscrupulous individuals who abuse the public trust. These measures, and much more, are needed to restore New Jerseyans’ faith in their elected representatives and protect State and local finances from corruption and abuse.”