Conflicts Plague Criminal Probe of Lt. Gov. Guadagno & Pension Scam

by Mark Lagerkvist

Tick. Tick. Tick. Tick.

Is it the sound of time passing on a conflicted, year-old criminal investigation of an alleged $245,000 pension fraud involving New Jersey Lt. Gov. Kim Guadagno?

Or is it the countdown to an embarrassing scandal for her boss, Gov. Chris Christie — a rising political star who declared pension reform as his "biggest governmental victory?"

The state's investigation is assigned to the Attorney's General's Division of Criminal Justice, a unit where Guadagno once served as deputy director. Despite the apparent conflict, Christie has not appointed a special prosecutor.

Public pension abuses are so rampant in New Jersey that even the agency investigating Guadagno has its own controversy.  Twenty-three supervisors and investigators with the Attorney General and DCJ are using legal loopholes to draw salaries and pension pay

For the full story, go to www.njwatchdog.org.  For further information, contact Mark Lagerkvist at mark@lagerkvist.net.

Also check out the MSNBC version of the New Jersey Watchdog story, now online at http://openchannel.msnbc.msn.com/_news/2012/05/14/11690662-gov-christies-pension-issue-nj-probe-looks-at-running-mate-double-dipping