Christie unveils package of ethics proposals

FLEMINGTON, N.J. - Gov. Christie announced a series of proposals at a town-hall meeting Wednesday that would expand legislators' financial-disclosure requirements, crack down on conflicts of interest, and close loopholes in campaign-finance laws.

The governor, speaking at the Raritan Township hall in Hunterdon County, also called for an end to dual office-holding by the end of the 2010-11 legislative session, and for banning all state, county, and local officials and employees from receiving a second public salary.

The governor had promised ethics reform on the campaign trail while touting his record of prosecuting more than 130 public officials for corruption. He said Wednesday that he had initially worked on "more urgent" issues, such as closing the state's multibillion-dollar budget deficit, but that it was time to look at other problems.

Christie plans to outline a "reform agenda" at town halls this month that will address the state's pension, regulatory, and education systems.

New Jersey for the last 10 years has had "out-of-control spending, out-of-control taxes, and out-of-control debt," Christie said.

State Senate President Stephen Sweeney (D., Gloucester) said in a statement that from a first reading of Christie's proposals, "there appear to be areas of likely agreement."

But he called on the governor to open the books of Reform New Jersey Now, a political organization tied to Christie's allies that Democrats have accused of skirting campaign-finance rules.

Fresh off last week's visit to the Delaware River Port Authority to press for stronger ethics measures, Christie drew applause as he took multiple jabs at the Legislature for not having already enacted what he described as common-sense reforms.

He also conditionally vetoed a bill that sought to prevent the governor and the state Ethics Commission from extending a filing deadline for financial-disclosure statements. Christie wants the Legislature and its senior staff to file the more detailed disclosure forms required of the executive branch.

One change that would affect South Jersey is the dual-office ban.

Sweeney has said he will leave his post as Gloucester County freeholder director by the end of the year, but a handful of dual officeholders remain after a 2007 law banning the practice grandfathered in current legislators.

Those include Assemblyman John Burzichelli (D., Gloucester), who also is mayor of Paulsboro.