Adler To Myers: End Silence On Federal Corruption Probe Of Republican Burlco Officials

Adler To Myers: End Silence On Federal Corruption Probe Of Republican Burlco Officials;

Stop Protecting Your Political Cronies And Demand Return Of Stolen Taxpayer Money

Mt. Laurel, NJ – Democratic congressional candidate John Adler challenged his Republican rival, Chris Myers, to end his yearlong silence on the federal corruption investigation into activities involving the Republican-run Burlington County  Bridge Commission. Adler said that Myers' attempt to sweep the widespread corruption in his own backyard under the rug showed an astonishing lack of commitment to clean government and ethics reforms. Myers is also helping keep $2.7 million of stolen money from being returned to the taxpayers by refusing to demand reimbursement by those involved in the scandal, Adler said.

"When it comes to rooting out corruption in Burlington County, Chris Myers is nowhere to be found," said Mark Warren, Adler's campaign manager. "His silence is deafening."

Myers has remained mute on the scandal despite the conviction of a lobbyist who was found guilty of conspiring to bilk the commission of $2.7 million of taxpayers money. The convicted lobbyist, Robert Stears, headed a Trenton lobbying firm in which Tom Wilson, a close political ally of Myers, was also a partner. In addition, Myers has accepted thousands of dollars in campaign contributions from Burlington County GOP boss Glenn Paulsen and then-Bridge Commission chairman Garfield DeMarco, who looked the other way when the lobbying firm collected payments from the commission for work it didn't perform.

After pleading guilty to submitting bogus and inflated invoices for lobbying work, Stears said at his sentencing hearing that he was told to pay kickbacks to local Republicans. The U.S. Attorney's Office is still investigating the matter, but Myers has done nothing to stand up for the taxpayers and urge the prosecutors to get to the bottom of the scandal.

"Who is Mayor Myers trying to protect? " Warren said. "The roots of this rampant corruption run deep in his party, and his silence speaks volumes about whose side he's on -- and it's clearly not the taxpayers.

"Unlike Chris Myers, John Adler has a track record of taking on leaders of his own party to do what's right for taxpayers, " Warren said. "He led the fight to strip crooked politicians of their public pensions, and he fought to make sure that politicians convicted of public corruption would face mandatory criminal sentences. He also supports full reimbursement for any salary and benefits earned during the time of a corrupt official's years of service in question."

Warren said Myers owes the public answers to the following questions:

• Why has Mayor Myers been so silent during the countless scandals involving his political allies in Burlington County?
• What does he know?
• When did he know it?
• Has he remained silent because his campaign is being financed, in part, by key leaders with links to these scandals?
• Why hasn't he fought to recoup the millions of dollars stolen from taxpayers and tollpayers in this scandal?

"It's time for Mayor Myers to stand up to his political bosses and do the right thing," Warren said. "The ball is in his court."