New Jersey Republicans seek to strip Menendez of state pension

(The Center Square) — New Jersey Republicans are pushing to strip embattled Democratic Sen. Bob Menendez of his state pension as he fights federal bribery charges.

A proposal filed by Sen. Declan O’Scanlon, R-Little Silver, would revoke public pensions for New Jersey government officials and employees convicted of committing a crime while in office.

O'Scanlon says the proposal was promoted by the indictment of Menendez on Sept. 22 on bribery and corruption charges. The Democrat is eligible for a nearly $50,000 pension from his days as a state lawmaker and mayor of Union City.

Under current law, Menendez would be able to collect more than $200,000 in public pension payments over the next 20 years, even if he is convicted, O'Scanlon said.

"These payments are funded by taxpayers and rank-and-file public employees alike," he said. "This is a slap in the face to taxpayers and this reform is long overdue."

Two weeks ago, federal prosecutors in the Southern District of New York unsealed a 39-page indictment accusing Menendez and his wife, Nadine, of accepting "hundreds of thousands of dollars" in bribes in exchange for using his political influence to benefit the Egyptian government and business associates in New Jersey.

Menendez and his wife received bribes including cash, gold, luxury vehicles and vacations, mortgage payments and other forms of compensation, prosecutors say. Federal agents said a search of his home found more than $480,000 in cash – some in envelopes stuffed into a jacket with his name on it – gold bars and a Mercedes Benz.

The embattled veteran lawmaker has pleaded not guilty to the charges and denied any wrongdoing. He has refused to step down from office despite calls from fellow Democrats, including New Jersey Gov Phil Murphy and Sen. Cory Booker.

But state Sen. Ed Durr, R-Logan, a co-sponsor of the pension reform bill, said the state shouldn't be providing public pensions to elected officials who break the law.

"Our underfunded pension system cannot continue shelling out more cash to crooked politicians who are convicted of bribery and other egregious crimes," he said.

O'Scanlon proposed a similar pension reform bill in 2008, when serving in the state Assembly, in response to child pornography charges against a fellow lawmaker who he says is collecting a state pension despite his conviction. He said Democrats have refused to support the proposed reforms.

"If this current indictment against the disgraced Senator doesn’t get them to finally act, they may as well just admit they support the financial interests of public officials that are convicted of child pornography and bribery over the taxpayers," O'Scanlon said.

New Jersey Republicans are also pushing to toughen the state's criminal sanctions for bribery convictions in response to the charges against Menendez.