Two New Jersey Democratic officials were arrested last year following a corruption scandal involving political payback. Attorney General Matthew J. Platkin and the Office of Public Integrity and Accountability (OPIA) announced last summer that criminal charges had been filed against two members of the South Jersey Transportation Authority (SJTA) Board of Commissioners.
Vice Chairman Christopher Milam, 45, and Board Commissioner Bryan Bush, 52, were charged after allegedly colluding to interfere with payments to a civil engineering firm as political retaliation. The motivation for the retribution allegedly stemmed from a dispute between a South New Jersey Democratic Party Official and a Mercer County Commissioner.
An investigation from the OPIA Corruption Bureau determined that Milam Bush conspired to stop the payment for services already rendered by the engineering firm. Reports indicate that they cast votes during three SJTA board meetings in 2023 to prevent the organization from fulfilling its financial obligation. The two officials are accused of having no reasonable grounds for the votes, which were allegedly politically motivated.
A press release from Attorney General Platkin explained, “It is alleged that, following behind-the-scenes discussions, Milam and Bush cast votes during three SJTA Board meetings in 2023 to prevent the authority from making legitimate payments due to the engineering firm, which the pair was allegedly targeting for political reasons. As alleged, the defendants knew they did not have a legitimate basis to cast votes denying the payments.”
“The ongoing investigation also revealed that Milam and Bush additionally committed perjury, giving false testimony under oath before the state grand jury in Trenton in March 2024,” authorities further determined. “The investigation determined that the defendants falsely claimed they voted against the payments because of various purported issues with the engineering firm — including an error made by the firm, concerns with one of its projects, and possible double billing by the company — that were not raised until after the defendants began voting no. But, as alleged, their text message shows they voted no because “they cut South Jersey in Mercer County.”
Platkin was quoted on the arrests, sending a firm message that anyone who commits such acts will be held accountable. “No matter how connected or powerful you are, if there is evidence suggesting that you have used your position and taxpayer dollars for political retribution or gain, we will hold you accountable,” he said.
The attorney general continued, “And if you lie to a grand jury, as alleged here, to cover up your conduct, you will answer for that, too. For people to have trust in government, they cannot feel that the well-off and well-connected play by a different set of rules than everyone else. The law cannot treat people differently. My office will continue to hold powerful people and powerful institutions accountable.”
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“The evidence revealed that these defendants misused the power they held as members of the SJTA Board to exact revenge on this particular firm and one of its staff members,” Drew Skinner, Executive Director of OPIA stated. “Their subsequent attempts to offer seemingly legitimate, but allegedly fictional, reasons for voting against the payments represents a further violation of the public trust. Abusing public office in order to get political payback — and trying to cover it up — will not be tolerated. Anyone who abuses the power entrusted to them by the public for political retaliation should know they will face serious consequences.”
Watch the Trump deputy chief of staff send a strong message to bureaucrats locked out of their systems below: