Fired red-light camera executive: Company bribed officials in 13 states, including NJ

[Redfairen]

Source: Star Ledger

A fired executive from one of New Jersey’s red-light camera vendors contends in a lawsuit filed in Arizona that the company provided lavish gifts and bribes to government officials in 13 states — including New Jersey — to secure new contracts.

The brief but bombshell reference to New Jersey and other states in a 13-page counterclaim was made by Aaron Rosenberg, former nationwide lead salesman for Redflex Traffic Systems of Phoenix. He did not mention specific municipalities from any of the states.

Rosenberg noted in the suit that Redflex “bestowed gifts and bribes on ... officials in dozens of municipalities within, but not limited to the following states: California, Washington, Arizona, New Mexico, Texas, Colorado, Massachusetts, North Carolina, Florida, New Jersey, Tennessee, Virginia, and Georgia.”

He said Redflex bribed local officials with meals, golf outings and tickets to professional football and baseball games. The expenses were listed as categories such as “entertainment” and “celebratory tokens,” according to the suit.



Read more: http://www.nj.com/news/index.ssf/2014/02/fired_red-light_camera_executive_company_bribed_officials_in_13_states_including_nj.html#incart_m-rpt-1

[LiberalEsto]

1. That's why these things are called Revenue Enhancement Devices nt

[Major Nikon]

2. There are 6 of them in my town from this company

All are on my commute.

When Texas passed legislation against red light cameras, they allowed current contracts to remain in place, so before the legislation took effect they renewed long term contracts with this company. I'm pretty sure someone got a payday over the deal. Fortunately the violations are unenforceable so a lot of people are just throwing them in the trash.

[jsr]

13. Texas state law also prevents cities from reporting deadbeats to credit agencies

http://www.statesman.com/news/news/local/many-red-light-camera-offenders-not-paying-analysi/nRksp/

The effort to collect the fines has been thwarted on two fronts: Texas legislators, in awarding cities the ability to set up red-light cameras, did not give them much authority to make offenders pay. For their part, Austin officials, while taking some steps to collect the money, also don't do all they could to make sure the fines are paid.

The result is that unlike most traffic tickets, which can lead to the arrest of a non-paying offender, violators face little consequence — aside from repeated letters and phone calls from a private collection business hired by the city. Under state law, major credit agencies are never alerted to violators' lack of payment, so a delinquent's credit score does not suffer.

Even drivers who don't pay parking tickets on expired meters face harsher punishment than red-light scofflaws. They frequently have their cars booted or towed, and collection rates for those fines are significantly higher.

[Major Nikon]

16. Some counties are not renewing registration from deliquents

However, my county has specifically said they will refuse to do this. I've never gotten a violation, but if I ever do I'm not going to pay it.

[Sunlei]

3. we need a full list of all names bribed.

[Shrike47]

4. We need more details.

A list of places where the officials were bribed would certainly be nice.

[George II]

6. Those won't come out until a trial takes place

[former9thward]

5. Unless he can prove actual cash bribes he will get nowhere.

Everyone of those other things are typical business expenses when people are negotiating contracts.

[Major Nikon]

8. Not in Texas

Here's the bribery statute which lists "any benefit as consideration for the recipient's decision"

http://www.statutes.legis.state.tx.us/Docs/PE/htm/PE.36.htm

I don't know about other states.

It might be a business expense for federal tax purposes, but that's not going to help you with a state charge of bribery. I hope this filters down to the local level here. I have a feeling some of the present and past city council members are shitting their pants about right now.

[former9thward]

9. Those eight words are very difficult for a prosecutor to prove.

Beyond a reasonable doubt. Sitting down at a lunch or going golfing while discussing business is not illegal.

[Major Nikon]

12. It depends on how the prosecution goes about it

Some states have ethics rules which limit what a public official can accept. In those cases it's not to hard to finger the public officials themselves and it just depends on whether they want to deal for the person making the bribe or the person accepting it. Personally I hope they go after the people that accepted them. There's one current and one former city council members here locally that wouldn't surprise me at all if they were in on the deal. One council member was voted out already over the red light camera deal and the other one didn't have any opposition during the last election, so we have to wait for the next one.

[Incitatus]

10. I believe the rules are different for government officials

Even if they are not, I don't see this not having an influence over voters.

[former9thward]

11. Agree with you on the voter's part.

[debunkthis]

7. Target practice anyone?

( referring to the cameras, of course, not the people )

[blkmusclmachine]

14. Any different from the army of cameras at every intersection, or along the highways???

There's nowhere you can go, where we won't know...

[DallasNE]

15. A Recent Report Showed That Roughly 10% Of Tickets Issued

Are done so wrongly. I wonder if statistic are kept on the impact of installing these devices. I suspect they may increase rear end accidents because their shortened yellow light could cause more hard braking and rear end collisions.