TRENTON – A bill sponsored by Senator Ellen Karcher which would allow county prosecutors and the State Attorney General to pursue damage fees against corrupt developers to help repay the municipalities for the cost of corruption, was introduced for consideration last week in the State Senate.
“I intend to push this bill during the legislative lame duck session, because I believe we need tools to help shield New Jersey’s property owners from the harmful effects of public corruption right now,” said Senator Karcher, D-Monmouth and Mercer. “Public corruption is not a victimless crime, and always comes at a cost to the taxpayers of the area, whether in the form of unwanted and unnecessary development, pensions for corrupt politicians, or outright theft of public funds. This bill would give our law enforcement officials the ability to hit developers in the checkbook if they are convicted of bribing public officials, and would put their money to good use for the taxpayers.”