Assemblyman Declan O’Scanlon made a motion yesterday to relieve the Assembly Judiciary Committee of bill A-1444, a measure that provides for mandatory imprisonment and forfeiture of retirement benefits for public officers or employees convicted of certain crimes. O’Scanlon requested that the bill be moved to the floor of the General Assembly for a full vote, but his motion was tabled.
Assemblywoman Caroline Casagrande is a co-sponsor of the bill, and Senator Jennifer Beck is the primary sponsor of the identical Senate version, S-686.
Both bills have been languishing in committee since January 8, 2008, and the Legislators are disappointed that this vital issue continues to be ignored.
“The public has a right to expect that they will not continue to pay retirement benefits for public officials who break the law,” said O’Scanlon. “Corruption is something that cannot and should not be rewarded. If an official is convicted of breaking the law in the course of their duties as a public official, I believe they have forfeited their rights as public employees, and that includes their retirement packages. It’s a matter of justice for the New Jersey taxpayers who are footing the bill.”
“Unfortunately,” said Casagrande, “theft and fraud are all too common in our State, and among our public officials. Those who commit these crimes must not continue to benefit from the public pension system. The public has already suffered from the misconduct of those who are supposed to be working for the people. It’s absurd to expect the public to fund the retirement of public officials and employees who have abused their office.”
In addition to forfeiting their pensions, a public employee or official convicted of any of the 19 crimes outlined in the bill would also receive mandatory prison sentences, ranging from one year for a fourth degree crime to ten years for a first degree crime.
“For far too long,” said Beck, “we’ve been giving corrupt public officials and employees a free pass. We’ve continued to pay their retirement benefits even after they’ve been convicted of a crime. That must stop. New Jersey not only can’t afford to reward those who breach public trust, but each time the State sends out another pension check to a corrupt official, it’s rubbing salt in that wound.”
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July 30, 2009
