DeCROCE CALLS ON CORZINE TO ‘WAKE UP’ AND DEMAND THE LEGISLATURE RECONVENE & DEAL WITH CORRUPTION

SAYS SPECIAL SESSION WOULD HELP RESTORE PUBLIC TRUST 

            Assembly Republican Leader Alex DeCroce today accused Gov. Jon S. Corzine of failing to act decisively to deal with the growing problem of political corruption in New Jersey.

            “I would have thought that the conviction of more than a hundred corrupt public officials since 2002 would have sufficed as wake up call for the governor,” said DeCroce, R-Morris and Passaic. “But Corzine’s response to last week’s arrest of another 44 people by federal agents for money laundering and corruption is disappointing and disturbing. Instead of rising to the occasion and showing leadership, Corzine failed once again to give any indication that he is prepared to take decisive action to address the mounting crisis of confidence.

            “People are disgusted that more and more public officials are betraying their trust. Lips service and inaction only feeds their growing cynicism. We must act now.”

            DeCroce demanded that Corzine order both houses of the Legislature to reconvene this summer to pass tougher ethics laws and penalties for corrupt public officials. However, DeCroce conceded he is not optimistic that the governor will heed the call.

            “In September 2006, Assembly Republicans offered a comprehensive package of bills to deal with culture of corruption in New Jersey,” DeCroce noted. “We called it a Blueprint for a Corrupt-Free New Jersey, and it contain some of the best ideas proposed by Republicans and Democrats to face this problem head on. We called for quick action on the bills at that time. Since then, as more public officials were indicted on corruption charges, additional legislative remedies have been proposed. During the intervening years, I encouraged the governor and legislative leaders on six different occasions to schedule a special session. Every entreaty fell on deaf ears.”

            DeCroce pointed out that just before the Assembly broke for its summer recess this year, Republicans attempted to free much-needed reforms that have been bottled-up in legislative committees.

            “Even though the bills would have, among other things, implemented campaign finance reforms Corzine asked for eight months earlier, the Democrats blocked our attempts, as they have countless times since they took control of the Legislature,” DeCroce said.

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Chronology of events

§           September 28, 2006: DeCroce sends a letter to the Assembly Speaker asking him to consider a Republican request for action on ethics reforms.

§           October 6, 2006: DeCroce issues a public statement again calling on the Assembly leadership to take immediate action on ethics reforms.

§           March 30, 2007: Following the indictment of state Senator Wayne Bryant on corruption charges, DeCroce calls on Corzine to call a special session of the Legislature to consider ethics reforms.

§           April 19, 2007: DeCroce sends letters to the editors of all daily newspapers in New Jersey seeking their help in convincing the Democrats to schedule a special session on ethics reform during the annual “budget break.”

§           September 10, 2007: DeCroce again writes the Assembly Speaker asking him to bring the Assembly in on September 17th for a special session to consider ethics reforms.

§           April 16, 2008: Following Bryant’s conviction on corruption charges, DeCroce in a public statement again exhorts Corzine to take immediate action to end the legislative logjam blocking ethics reforms.