Agency Unresponsive to Legislative Requests for Correspondence with Gov’s Office on Summer Commuting Plan, Revenues & Fares; Subpoenas will Also Seek Info on Patronage
(TRENTON) – Assembly Judiciary Chairman John McKeon (D-Essex/Morris) released the following statement Wednesday as the Assembly Judiciary Committee held a joint hearing with the Senate Legislative Oversight Committee on Amtrak’s New York Penn Station repairs and continued NJ Transit commuter woes:
“After being stonewalled by NJ Transit along with local mayors in May, I sent letters to NJ Transit – one June 12 and another on June 16 – seeking all correspondence between NJ Transit and the governor’s office from March 2017 forward on the summer commuting plan, along with information on revenue and fares.
“On June 23, we received more than 1,200 pages, and though the letters were precise about March 2017 forward, the documents received back went back to 1987. Just one document was dated after March 2017 – a May document on regulatory testing for locomotives.
“This is unacceptable.
“Our request was ignored and legislative time was wasted scouring through 1,200 pages of unresponsive documents. I have real concern that this stalling has been done with influence from Gov. Christie’s office, which is a question we need to have answered.
“We have been more than patient. It is now time for the Assembly Judiciary Committee to invoke its subpoena power to force NJ Transit to be responsive.
“Subpoenas will be delivered by the end of this week. Unfortunately, it has come to this, but the lack of cooperation is disappointing. Our request will also seek information on patronage hiring at the agency.
“NJ Transit and the Christie administration continue to operate in their own self-interest, rather than that of New Jersey commuters, and are putting secrecy over transparency. This cannot continue.”