Bryant guilty on all counts
A jury convicted former State Sen. Wayne Bryant today on federal corruption charges

Bryant guilty on all counts

By Matt Friedman | November 18th, 2008 - 2:11pm
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Former state Sen. Wayne Bryant has been found guilty on every count of bribery and fraud that he was charged with.

The jury concluded that Bryant, a Democrat who used to represent Camden and Gloucester Counties, was given a low-show job at the University and Medicine and Dentistry in exchange for his political influence in obtaining grants for the school. That job, in turn, significantly boosted his pension.

Today’s verdict comes one day after U.S. Attorney Chris Christie announced that he planned to resign at the beginning of next month – possibly to launch a gubernatorial bid. The conviction puts another high profile feather in his corruption crusader cap.

More from the Courier-Post, Bergen Record and Star-Ledger.

Codey and Cryan

This just proves that Dick Codey and Joe Cryan should be indicted as well! They are up to their eyeballs in this slush fund and pay to play nonsense. The oneliners that these two throw out when they can't answer the tough questions will not work as well on the grand jury as they do with the Star Ledger! Our only hope is that the next US Attorney will keep fighting the good fight.

I think Codey may be toast

The Senate and Assembly staffers raised loads of issues that must be further investigated. If I were any legislator who might THINK they have a conflict of interest part-time job-I'd get rid of it pronto. And there are LOADS of legislators in this same boat. This son, daughter cousin, relative, mistress gets a grant or two or gets hired by the granting agency. Coniglio should take a plea. Senate staff better not start shredding stuff!

Glad he got nailed on this

UMDNJ is actually a terrific school--especially Robert Wood Johnson Medical School--and produces high ranking, successful physicans and surgeons in NJ and beyond.  But UMDNJ's Bryant connection was borderline unforgiveable and a terrible mistake. 

 In the bigger picture, Bryant is just another one of Camden's corrupt politicians.  I'm not talking about all of Camden County, but Camden in particular.  The place fell apart at all corners and major blame goes to its elected leaders for inconsistency, instability and plain selfishness.  How many mayors in 5 years?

 Bryant: go to jail.

Where is Anne Milgram?

any guesses on what she could possibly be thinking defending Corzine's emails rather than pursuing public corruption? 130 to ZERO. That is some record. And Christie will not have to be a one issue candidate. Corruption costs taxpayers money which hurts the economy. The truth is sadly you have a better shot of having a special needs child in the state of NJ than getting away from Christie's office.

As for Codey and Cryan, they have already proved that if you rob a bank in NJ and repay the money before you get caught, you can avoid prosecution. Only under this Corzine administration would a governor tolerate such an ethically challenged Democratic State Chair. The guy was accused of taking a cash bribe, the accuser offered a lie detector test and Corzine took him anyway.

Where is the justice?

How about a few more heads from the UMDNJ?

It takes two to bribe. They must be procecuted to discourage any more shenanigans.

 

"Study the Constitution,  Let it be preached fom the pulpit, proclaimed in the legislatures,and enforced in courts of justice." ~ Abraham Lincoln 

We're gonna

get a Ferriero crony as our next U.S. Attorney... so we're all phucked unless a Republican wins the guv race.

Guilty

Wayne Bryant - Guilty.

Great, now it is time to enact legislation that will discourage and prevent this kind of greed by all of our elected officials.

Our elected officials seem to be motivated by their overly generous taxpayer paid pensions. Seems that many will go to any lengths to assure they will be able to collect plenty when voters turn them out of office.

One reform that should be enacted is to assure that any elected official found guilty of violating the public trust be required to forfeit any and all pension payments as part of their penalty upon conviction or even forced resignation.

Since so many have been motivated to break the rules in order to enhance their pension benefits it is time to strengthen the penalty for breaking the public trust.

Perhaps the loss of 100% of all earned pension benefits for any conviction would do more to keep our elected officials on the straight and narrow than any ethics reform will ever do.

Beside saving taxpayer dollars, it is time our elected officials had more to lose for stepping outside the law.

Forfeiture of all taxpayer paid benefits for any conviction is long overdue and would go further than any ethics regulation to prevent our elected officials from abusing the law.

Convicted?...No benefits for you.

Legislators have proposed...

bills and amednments prohibiting legislators from giving grants to their employers and clients. It's still legal unless you can show a quid pro quo (almost impossible) behind it. And when the Ethics Whitewash Committee conducts investigations Like Dean Martin's investigation into Thorton Mellon in Back to School, that will never happen - until a federal prosecutor decides to give a sh!t. Maybe one day Democrat leadership like Codey will post those billsor acceptamendments to stop what everyone knows is grossly wrong... or maybe they like giving money to their employers and clients too much. So many employers and clients, so little time to give them taxpayer money.

Thank God!

We so rarely see justice in NJ.

Wake-Up Call

Morning News Digest: February 9, 2010

Garden State Equality fires new broadside at Dems Smarting over the state Senate's refusal to pass marriage equality and disillusioned at the moment with the Democratic Party majority, Garden State Equality’s 85-member Board of Directors unanimously decided against giving financial contributions to political parties and their affiliated committees. ...

Wally Edge

As the new administration looks to reorganize the embattled Passaic Valley Sewerage Authority (PVSA), watch for at least two part-time $53,420-a-year lawyers to be on the termination short list: James Piro, a former Essex County GOP Chairman and...
The brother of U.S. Rep. Frank Pallone has announced his candidacy for the Long Branch City Council.  John Pallone, who served as a Councilman from 1990 to 1994, said today that he would run with David Brown, the former Roselle Business...
A handwritten note left behind during a Senate Budget and Appropriations Committee meeting indicates that Senate Majority Leader Barbara Buono (D-Metuchen) would support a plan to require all current public employees to contribute at least 1.5% of...
As New Jersey braces for another snowstorm, noteworthy is Hamilton Mayor John Bencivengo’s website, where residents can use “Snow Plow Sal” to monitor the movements of snow plows to determine when their street will be plowed.  Hamilton also has...
Just before leaving the Senate Presidency, Richard Codey (D-Roseland) appointed Orange Mayor Eldridge Hawkins to the Congressional Redistricting Commission.  Now his successor, Stephen Sweeney (D-West Deptford) is considering making his own...

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