O’Scanlon’s bill will require full restitution for stealing from taxpayers
Pay up or get locked up
Senator Declan O’Scanlon today announced his plans to introduce legislation that would prohibit State entities from entering into civil settlements for less than the amount that has been stolen from social safety net programs and offering immunity from criminal prosecution. The legislation comes as a direct result of recent investigations into Medicaid fraud settlements in Lakewood.
“The notion that people who have knowingly received benefits they were not entitled to would only be required to pay back half of that amount of money is completely ludicrous. It’s basically like letting someone get away with stealing from taxpayers. That’s unacceptable.”
O’Scanlon’s bill primarily eliminates the option for individuals to pay back anything less than full restitution under a civil settlement agreement with a State entity. Recent articles in the Asbury Park Press and others highlighted several individuals who only had to pay back half of the money they received.
The legislation goes one step further when it comes to elected public officials and state employees with fiduciary duty–requiring them to forfeit their positions and be barred from public office or employment for ten years.
“No one should be allowed to steal from taxpayers, but I wanted to make it very clear that elected officials and government employees are held to an even higher standard. How could we allow an elected official to stay in office when they’ve broken the public trust? Furthermore, government employees with a fiduciary duty and/or responsibility to award contracts cannot be allowed to stay in such positions after admitting to making willful misrepresentations in order to obtain undeserved benefits.”
“This legislation sends a clear message that there is nothing to gain by gaming the system. There is a finite amount of funds in these benefit categories. We must make sure taxpayer dollars are going to folks truly in need.” O’Scanlon concluded.
More from my site
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O’Scanlon: Local Governments ‘Defying’ Murphy have Higher Obligation to Residents
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Gopal abstains on $10 billion borrowing bill – O’Scanlon sues to halt the borrowing
O’Scanlon praises Supreme Court’s proposed Municipal Court Reforms—will introduce legislation to take the profit out of policing and local courts- O’Scanlon: “This is a crtical moment for our children’s future”
- O’Scanlon’s Legislation Protecting Seniors Property Tax Break Advances
AWESOME
More proof that common sense like this is essential to fixing our broken government and making it work for taxpayers.
Imagine a system where a thief can steal and keep 100% of what they steal, except that if they do get caught they know they might have to return 50% and have an agreement from the government they can keep the other 50% without worry about prosecution for it. A good deal indeed for the thief. Our current system is more like a twilight zone episode than a government for the people.
Go Delcan. Please get it done.
-Steve