Oct 9, 2008 1:49 pm US/Eastern
Witness: Ex-Sen. Bryant Changed Course On Funding
TRENTON (AP) ―
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Former N.J. state senator Wayne Bryant (file)
CBS
Former State Sen. Wayne R. Bryant agreed to pay for some reforms to the state's child welfare system in 2004 only after he learned that some of the money would benefit his employer, a witness at Bryant's corruption trial said.
The former state Department of Human Services Commissioner James Davy said on the witness stand Wednesday that he requested $15 million for reforms in March 2007. But a legislative committee chaired by Bryant agreed to provide only $7 million.
Weeks later, though, the other $8 million was awarded -- after Davy told Bryant that the CARES Institute for abused children at the School of Osteopathic Medicine in Stratford would get $1.5 million.
Bryant's defense lawyer countered by asking Davy whether CARES had been providing services to the state and doing a good job. Davy agreed that it had.
The federal government is claiming in the case that osteopathic school, which is part of the University of Medicine and Dentistry of New Jersey, gave Bryant a "low-show" job as a bribe so he would help the school get more state money.
Also on trial is the osteopathic school's former dean, Michael Gallagher, who is accused of rigging the hiring process to put Bryant on the payroll and hiding the true nature of his job.
The trial, in its fourth week, has pulled back the curtain a bit on politics in Trenton with witness revelations about lawmakers directly controlling some state money to award grants.
Bryant, who retired from the state Senate this year after nearly 30 years in politics and a run as one of the most powerful lawmakers in the state, could be sentenced to several years in prison if he is convicted.
The trial is set to resume on Tuesday.
(© 2009 The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.)
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