s2167

TRENTON – Legislation sponsored by Senator Shirley K. Turner (D – Mercer, Hunterdon) that would permanently disqualify public contractors from future bidding opportunities if they have been convicted of fraudulent activity involving any previously awarded public contract has cleared the Senate.

“We should not be allowing taxpayer dollars to go towards those who have already defrauded the residents of New Jersey,” said Turner. “When you do government work, a certain level of trust is given to you. Once that trust is broken, it should not be reinstated on a whim. If public employees cannot work for government when they betray the public trust, the same rule should apply to private contractors.”

TRENTON – Legislation sponsored by Senator Shirley K. Turner (D – Mercer, Hunterdon) that would permanently disqualify public contractors from future bidding opportunities if they have been convicted of fraudulent activity involving any previously awarded public contract cleared the Senate State Government, Wagering, Tourism & Historic Preservation Committee today.

“Taxpayers have the right to know that their dollars are not going towards those who have already defrauded the residents of New Jersey,” said Turner. “There is a level of trust involved in government service and once that trust has been broken, it should not be reinstated by some arbitrary whim. If public employees cannot work for government when they betray the public trust, the same rule should apply to private contractors.”

Trenton – Senator Shirley Turner announced today that she has introduced legislation to permanently disqualify public contractors from future bidding opportunities if they have been convicted of fraudulent activity involving any previously awarded public contract.

The legislation (S-2167) comes on the heels of the sentencing of two South Jersey contractors who pleaded guilty to making false representations in order to win a government contract. In addition to being sentenced to three years probation for bid rigging and inflating school contracts, the contractors are also disqualified from public contracts for five years and must pay a $25,000 penalty.