Wayne R. Bryant
Wayne R. Bryant | |
|---|---|
| Member of theNew Jersey Senate from the 5th district | |
| In office February 9, 1995 – January 8, 2008 | |
| Preceded by | Walter Rand |
| Succeeded by | Dana Redd |
| Member of theNew Jersey General Assembly from the5thdistrict | |
| In office January 12, 1982 – February 9, 1995 Serving withFrancis J. GormanandJoseph J. Roberts | |
| Preceded by | Walter Rand Ernest F. Schuck |
| Succeeded by | Nilsa Cruz-Perez |
| Personal details | |
| Born | November 7, 1947 Camden, New Jersey |
| Political party | Democratic |
Wayne R. Bryant(born November 7, 1947) is an AmericanDemocratic Partypolitician, who served in theNew JerseyState Senatefrom 1995 to 2008, where he represented the5th Legislative District.He is also aconvicted felonfor corruption. Before entering the Senate, Bryant served in New Jersey'slower house,theGeneral Assembly,from 1982 to 1995 and on theCamden CountyBoard of Chosen Freeholdersfrom 1980 to 1982.
Early life and family
[edit]Bryant was born and raised in the predominantly African American community ofLawnside, New Jersey.His father, Isaac Rutledge Bryant, was president of the Lawnside school board for fourteen years. His uncle,Horace J. Bryant,was the first African American to serve in a State Cabinet position in New Jersey. His grandfather served as theNew Jersey General Assembly's first African American calendar clerk, responsible for billing and scheduling. He has two brothers, Isaac and Mark; Mark Bryant served as mayor of Lawnside.[1]
Political career
[edit]While in the General Assembly, Bryant served asMajority Leaderfrom 1990 to 1991.[2]Upon the death of longtime Democratic SenatorWalter Randon January 6, 1995, Bryant was selected to serve the remaining term, and served in the State Senate until 2008;Nilsa Cruz-Perezwas selected to fill Bryant's seat in the Assembly.[3]Bryant served as adelegateto theDemocratic National Conventionon four occasions, in1992,1996,2000and2004.[2]
Bryant has been anAttorneyat the law firm of Zeller & Bryant, L.L.P. The firm announced in an advertisement in the February 12, 2007, edition of theNew Jersey Law Journalthat Bryant would be retiring from the firm after 33 years, effective March 1, 2007. Bryant is the formerChairmanof the Senate Budget & Appropriations Committee, and the Joint Budget Oversight Committee. He also serves as a member of the Education Committee, the Joint Committee on Public Schools, and the Intergovernmental Relations Committee.[2]
Controversy and indictment
[edit]Bryant has been referred to as the "king ofdouble dipping"by a newspaper in southern New Jersey because he has collected salaries from as many as four public jobs he held simultaneously in New Jersey. Between Bryant, his two brothers, his wife, his son and his sister-in-law, the family holds ten public jobs in New Jersey and earns almost $700,000.[4]
On April 20, 2006, it was reported on the website Politics NJ that Bryant found his son, Wayne Bryant, Jr., dead in his home. Bryant's son worked for theNew Jersey NetworkTelevision Station, and had won two Emmy awards.
On September 18, 2006, a federal monitor's report charged Bryant with pressuring officials at theUniversity of Medicine and Dentistry of New Jerseyto hire him for a no-show job for which he received a $35,000 annual salary. In his position as chairman of the Senate Budget Committee, Bryant delivered a total of $12.8 million in state aid to the school during the three years covered by the no-show job.[5]As of September 25, 2006, Bryant stepped down from his position as chairman of the Senate budget committee — and resigned from the committee entirely — amid increasing pressure from legislative leaders.[6]The probe against Bryant expanded, and state and federal investigators at theU.S. Attorney's Office for the District of New Jerseydemanded records from several public institutions and agencies where Bryant or his law firm, Zeller & Bryant, have worked. One of the notable places wasRutgers University Camdenwhere Bryant received over $130,000 for teaching law school classes. This salary was considered suspicious, as the Rutgers Camden Law School was lobbying and received $11 million from the Camden City Redevelopment fund which Bryant was involved with.[7]
On March 29, 2007, Bryant was indicted on corruption charges for his alleged involvement in funneling millions to theUniversity of Medicine and Dentistry of New Jerseyin exchange for a no-show job allegedly provided by R. Michael Gallagher, the former dean at UMDNJ'sSchool of Osteopathic Medicinewho has also been indicted with Bryant. He also faces charges of mail fraud, wire fraud, and bribery because of his acceptance of salary from the University of Medicine and Dentistry,Rutgers University-Camden,andGloucester CountyBoard of Social Service while doing very little work.[8]
On November 18, 2008, Bryant was convicted on all counts. On July 24, 2009, District JudgeFreda L. Wolfsonsentenced Bryant to four years in federal prison.[9]
References
[edit]- ^"Lawnside Brothers' Political Paths Vary".The Philadelphia Inquirer.1998-11-09.Retrieved2016-09-23.
- ^abcSenator Bryant's Official Senate Website,New Jersey Legislature.Accessed June 10, 2007.
- ^Ott, Dwight."Latino woman likely to join Assembly - a first Camden's Nilsa Cruz-Perez would replace Wayne R. Bryant. He will fill Walter Rand's State Senate Seat.",The Philadelphia Inquirer,January 28, 1995. Accessed June 10, 2007.
- ^Little hope for change with the foxes still in charge,New Jersey Jewish News,May 4, 2006.
- ^Report: Bryant had no-show job,Courier-Post,September 18, 2006.
- ^Bryant out as budget chairman over ethics concerns,Newsday,September 25, 2006.
- ^The Bryant Investigation: Editorial - Stop stalling,The Philadelphia Inquirer,November 10, 2006.
- ^Hester, Tom (March 30, 2007). "State Sen. Bryant indicted".Burlington County Times.pp. A1–A7.
- ^"Former Sen. Wayne Bryant gets four years in prison for bribery, fraud".The Star-Ledger.2009-07-24.Retrieved2009-07-24.
External links
[edit]- Living people
- 1947 births
- African-American state legislators in New Jersey
- County commissioners in New Jersey
- Democratic Party members of the New Jersey General Assembly
- New Jersey politicians convicted of crimes
- Democratic Party New Jersey state senators
- People from Lawnside, New Jersey
- Politicians convicted of mail and wire fraud
- Politicians convicted of program bribery
- Politicians from Camden, New Jersey
- 21st-century American legislators
- 21st-century African-American politicians
- 20th-century American legislators
- 20th-century African-American politicians
- 20th-century New Jersey politicians
- 21st-century New Jersey politicians