For Immediate Release:
Meet New Jersey's "disabled" double-dippers. They get two sets of checks from the state – one for working and another because they cannot work:
· As a lawyer for Gov. Chris Christie, Adam Heck collects a $110,000 state salary – plus an additional $44,000 a year in police pension pay for being "totally and permanently disabled" in the eyes of New Jersey.
· Scott Jenkins gets $186,000 a year from the state – $93,000 in police disability pay and another $93,000 in salary as a chief investigator in the Division of Consumer Affairs.
· Michael Fantini retired on disability as a State Police trooper. Two years later, he was rehired by the State Police – apparently able to work – but the pension checks never stopped. While receiving a full-time salary for the past 14 years, Fantini has also pocketed $750,000 in disability pay.
A New Jersey Watchdog investigation found 18 state employees who double-dip $2.2 million a year – $1 million in tax-free accidental disability pay plus $1.2 million in salaries. (Click here for list.)
So far, those 18 employees – all law enforcement retirees – have drawn more than $5 million in disability pay since they returned to work in full-time state jobs for state government.
It is only the tip of what happens in a loophole-riddled police disability pension system that pays out $200 million a year.
The full story is now online at http://newjersey.watchdog.org. The direct link is http://newjersey.watchdog.org/2013/09/09/njs-disabled-double-dippers/.
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