Bringing the Family to Work – NJ TODAY

In May, when nearly 45,000 Union County residents found themselves suddenly unemployed, nine members of state Senator Joe Cryan’s family were secure in the knowledge that taxpayers would continue paying them lucrative salaries no matter how bad things got because they have a powerful political insider looking out for them.

While thousands of families in Union County continue to struggle to pay rent and put food on the table to feed their family, an NJTODAY investigation uncovered evidence that Union County Senator Joseph Cryan and his privileged family have made millions of dollars from taxpayers over the last several years.

Public records show the following Cryan’s immediate family members and other close relatives are paid from the taxpayer coffers.

Joseph Cryan makes $208,840 as executive director of the Middlesex County Utilities Authority in addition to his State Senate salary of $49,000, for a total $257,843 at taxpayer expense.
Cryan’s sister, Eileen Birch is the Union Township Municipal Clerk, at a salary of $155,076.75.
Cryan’s other sister, Mary Donohue is employed by Township of Union as a keyboarding clerk, whose salary was not disclosed but local ordinances show her job title pays up to $97,000 per year.
Cryan’s brother-in-law is retired Superior Court Judge Joseph Donohue, who left behind a $165000 salary at the Union County Courthouse in June 2016, but now he collects a pension of $103,331.16.
Cryan’s nephew, Richard Birch, was employed by Township of Union from August 18, 2015 until April 26, 2019, while he was a student at Seton Hall Law School, and now he is a law clerk working for the County of Union at a $50,605 salary.
Cryan’s daughter-in-law Michelle Cryan is a Union County Sheriff’s officer earning $63,996.
Cryan’s step-daughter, Katie Peterson, was employed from July 29, 2013 until April 12, 2019 as a Union Township keyboard clerk 1, where her annual salary increased up to $33,89.78 while she was enrolled as a Rutgers University student. A Katie Peterson is currently listed as an employee of the New Jersey Motor Vehicle Commission making $75,000.
Cryan’s neice, Emily Pearson, was hired September 3, 2013 as a Township of Union Public Safety Telecommunicator and her salary now is $72,480.20.
Cryan’s nephew, Karl Pearson was hired September February 4, 2013 as a Union Township building maintenance worker and he is now earning $69,818.32.
Cryan’s cousin, James Cryan, is the Cranford Township Business Administrator, at a salary of $137,700.

Nepotism is giving opportunities to friends and family members. It generally has a negative association, particularly if the favored recipient isn’t qualified. Nepotism can damage an organization by affecting employee morale, causing friction and resentment.

Some of the Cryan clan among those employed in these taxpayer-funded jobs were enrolled as full time students while living lavishly off of the hardworking taxpayers in the 20th Legislative District, which includes Elizabeth, Hillside, Roselle and Union.

About one third of the Cryan family members on this list do not hold a college degree and several of them reside in Middlesex or Morris counties even though they are collecting paychecks funded by Union County taxpayers.

It is not as if people who live locally lack an interest in work that pays better than they can make at the mall or McDonalds.

According to the US Census Bureau American Community Survey, the average per capita income for an Elizabeth resident is $21,380. The average per capita income in Roselle is $29,452, in Hillside it is $32,527 and in Union it is $39,049; but the Cryan family’s average government salary is $116,391!

That’s more than five times as much as the income of a typical Elizabeth working person.

Senator Cryan’s total taxpayer-funded income from two public sector jobs is a dozen times as much as that of an average Elizabeth resident. If avarice and greed with desirable qualities, the politician might be in good shape but Cryan is locked in a bitter primary election contest with Assemblyman Jamel Holley, so these revelations could cause some discomfort on the campaign trail.

Cryan’s nepotism network produces political problem prior to primary

The extent of such patronage positions is uncommon even for some of the most powerful Union County insiders, but Cryan is a political power broker who makes the greedy look timid. The only rival whose audacity compares is a recent occupant of the White House.

Nepotism was roundly condemned by Democrats when President Donald Trump gave his daughter Ivanka and her husband, Jared Kushner, prime positions of influence in his administration.

Cryan’s kin is planted among township, county and state government payrolls where he exerts enormous influence as a member of the State Legislature draw nary a whimper from critics, although few of the Cryan clan has any more obvious qualifications for government policy work than the parasites Trump appointed.

Despite laws and regulations prohibiting the practice, nepotism runs rampant in New Jersey thanks to laws enacted by people who often build in giant loopholes and exceptions or develop political influence that goes beyond the reach of their official position.

Nepotism, or the act of providing or receiving opportunities due to a family relationship or friendship, has a history that runs long and worldwide.

N.J. Stat. Ann. § 52:13D-21.2 states that a relative of an appointed member of a governing or advisory body of an independent authority, board, commission, agency or instrumentality of the state shall not be employed in an office or position in that independent authority, board, commission, agency or instrumentality. “Relative” means an individual’s spouse or the individual’s or spouse’s parent, child, brother, sister, aunt, uncle, niece, nephew, grandparent, grandchild, son-in-law, daughter-in-law, stepparent, stepchild, stepbrother, stepsister, half brother or half sister, whether the relative is related to the individual or the individual’s spouse by blood, marriage or adoption.

The practice of nepotism not only costs billions of dollars in wasteful spending but it also taxes the legitimacy of America’s government. It is not like Cryan is unaware of the issue, but he has done nothing to fix it as a member of the state Senate.

Charlatans like Trump and Cryan deteriorate any confidence citizens have in the ability of institutions at the foundation of our democratic republic.

Many businesses have been forced to lay off workers or even close the doors during the pandemic emergency. Restaurants were required to limit seating capacity due to COVID 19 and faced other restrictions yet these individuals have still had a direct deposit to their bank account from government funded paychecks.

Joe Cryan’s siblings and other family members are secure against anything that might interrupt their lucrative living, as voters are virtually unable to hold political leaders accountable.

This is not the first time nepotism has been exposed in his realm but Cryan’s retaliation against critics is often sharp and swift.

Star Ledger reporter Jason Jett documented nepotism among employees at Union Township, the school district and in county government in a Star-Ledger article published in October 2005.

More than a decade ago. Star Ledger reporter Jason Jett documented charges revealing widespread abuses among employees at Union Township, where the Municipal Democratic Committee has been under the control of Chairman Joseph Cryan.

Jett quoted a local government critic who said, “In some instances, entire families are employed by the township and board of education” and he listed numerous examples of nepotism among the political organization Cryan ruled at the time and now.

As a reward for his brave work exposing Cryan’s corruption, Jett — an African American reporter — was subsequently reassigned his position and ultimately separated from the publication.

Nepotism has also been investigated by the Union County Watchdog Association and extensively been reported on that group’s blog as an institutional problem in county government.

“It doesn’t stop at the jobs that may or may not be needed or the relatives and friends that may or not be qualified for them. Nepotism has been rampant so long here in Union County that it is no longer good enough that connected people are given jobs. They want promotions too. In 2000, 29 employees made over $100,000, today there are 126.”

“Was anyone – apparently other than our elected freeholders – surprised by last week’s guilty plea of a long time, politically connected, county employee of having stolen $120-200k from taxpayers?,” asked Mark Boehme, of Summit, on October 10, 2013, after Aneillo ‘Niel’ Palmieri, the former director of facilities management, pleaded guilty in federal court in Newark. “I and others familiar with the nepotism, self-dealing and ‘look the other way’ history of our county’s government, highlighted by carefully managed investigations and unwillingness to prosecute fraud and corruption by public employees, certainly were not. An organization that tolerates inappropriate activity sends its employees a clear signal that ethical practices are not a valued part of the culture, not surprisingly leading to outcomes like this.”

Boehme concluded, “While county government has many hardworking employees and is theoretically well positioned to offer efficiencies such as resource sharing for municipalities, it has failed us badly and currently primarily serves as an employment agency for aspiring or unemployed politicians and politically connected friends and family.”

In the public sector, it is considered a particularly toxic phenomenon as it goes against the public interest: citizens generally expect that public employees should deserve their jobs, hired according to merit-based criteria.

“The assault on so many of our shared values – from affordable, accessible healthcare to treating immigrants with dignity and respect – has been challenging to say the least. And in Trenton, a toxic blend of status quo and nepotism has often perpetuated a do-little culture,” said Gordon MacInnes, a former state senator and president of the New Jersey Policy Perspective.

One thing experts agree upon is that robust political competition increases accountability and reduces exploitation of taxpayers.

“Government has tremendous power over our lives. I’d think this would be one area where nepotism would be taboo. But I’m wrong again. In fact, I’m totally wrong.,” said ABC’s John Stossel in a January 6, 2006 editorial that said “Colin Powell’s son was appointed chairman of the Federal Communications Commission. The wife of Sen. Mitch McConnell, R-Ky., Elaine Chao, was appointed secretary of Labor. Supreme Court Chief Justice William Rehnquist’s daughter, Janet, was appointed inspector-general of the Department of Health and Human Services.”

Jonathan Turley, a law professor at George Washington University, says nepotism in politics is a terrible thing. “It combines the two most powerful motivations in Washington: procreation and power. And the (beneficiaries) are the sons and daughters of the powerful elite.”

“It’s hard to blame these members,” Turley said. “You know, they’re not to blame, ultimately. We are. I mean, we’re the ones that let them do it.”

The cost of corruption

A man who was convicted of stealing while he was a Union County employee, Patrick Scanlon, Jr., is the son of former Freeholder Deborah Scanlon and her husband, Patrick Scanlon, Sr.

The Star-Ledger reported on March 1, 2012 that Scanlon announced she would be stepping down as Freeholder at the end of the year to make more time for her family. According to public records, Scanlon’s son was hired by Union County as a $33,521 laborer in August 2011.

Mr. Scanlon left the county payroll sometime in January 2012 but public records show that a Patrick Scanlon was convicted of Theft by Unlawful Taking on January 25, 2010 and sentenced to 6 months in jail and 5 years’ probation by Union County Superior Court Judge Joseph P. Donohue.

Judge Donohue is the brother in law Joseph Cryan.

Donohue began his judicial career in the Essex County Sheriff’s office under then-Sheriff John Cryan, who was Joseph’s Cryan’s father. The elder Cryan’s top lieutenant was Undersheriff Patrick Scanlon, the criminal defendant’s grandfather.
This exhibits the cycle of corruption made possible—if not likely—by such extreme cases of nepotism in government, which is supposed to show justice for all instead of being populated by leaders who exploit all opportunities for personal gain.

“Rather than set an example of integrity & fidelity to the rule of law, Joe Cryan’s actions almost always placed personal advantage over the public interest in ways that undermine public trust in elected officials,” said Elizabeth resident Anita Williams. “If I had Joe Cryan’s money, I would have no financial problems but I could not stand the guilt of betraying the American people by stacking public payrolls with family members, taking excessive government salaries or bending the system to exclude more qualified public servants.”

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