Inverso: End Democrat Resignation Double Standard

Inverso:  End Democrat Resignation Double Standard 

            Senator Peter A. Inverso (R-Mercer/Middlesex) issued the following statement in the wake of the resignations of the Deputy Speaker of the General Assembly and the Chairman of the Assembly State Government Committee.  The resignations of the Assemblymen were called for by leading Democrats, while Senators under indictment for corruption-related crimes are permitted to continue in office.

             “The recent resignations of two members of the General Assembly following their arrest on charges that they demanded and took cash bribes to influence the award of public contracts points to the glaring need to enact truly meaningful ethics reform legislation.  Half-hearted and loophole-ridden laws will do nothing to combat the culture of corruption that has been allowed to flourish in Trenton.             “Moreover, it is disturbing that the apparent rationale for seeking the resignations of the two Assemblymen, and not the resignations of two indicted Senators, is the prospect that the Assemblymen might lose their re-election bids in two strong Democrat districts.  Thus, the importance of securing Democrat victories seems to be the burning issue with the Democrat leadership, rather than taking the ethical high-ground.                    “To assert that it is appropriate to demand the resignations of the two Assemblymen, yet inappropriate to demand the resignations of the two Senators, is strikingly inconsistent and disingenuous.               “A charge is an accusation by a law enforcement official that someone has committed a crime.  An indictment is a written pronouncement to a court by a grand jury after a review of evidence that a crime has been committed.  To argue that a charge against a legislator   warrants a resignation, but that an indictment does not, is illogical at best.               “In the wake of the events of the past week there is simply no good reason why the Legislature should not meet in joint session immediately and take up the many strong ethics reform bills that have been ignored in favor of weak and ineffectual legislation.  We must restore public faith in the institutions of their government.”