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Adler To Myers: End Silence On Federal Corruption Probe Of Republican Burlco Officials;

Stop Protecting Your Political Cronies And Demand Return Of Stolen Taxpayer Money

For Immediate Release:

October 9, 2008

Contact:

Mark Warren, 856.222.9707

Mt. Laurel, NJ – Democratic congressional candidate John Adler challenged his Republican rival, Chris Myers, to end his yearlong silence on the federal corruption investigation into activities involving the Republican-run Burlington County  Bridge Commission. Adler said that Myers' attempt to sweep the widespread corruption in his own backyard under the rug showed an astonishing lack of commitment to clean government and ethics reforms. Myers is also helping keep $2.7 million of stolen money from being returned to the taxpayers by refusing to demand reimbursement by those involved in the scandal, Adler said.

"When it comes to rooting out corruption in Burlington County, Chris Myers is nowhere to be found," said Mark Warren, Adler's campaign manager. "His silence is deafening."

Myers has remained mute on the scandal despite the conviction of a lobbyist who was found guilty of conspiring to bilk the commission of $2.7 million of taxpayers money. The convicted lobbyist, Robert Stears, headed a Trenton lobbying firm in which Tom Wilson, a close political ally of Myers, was also a partner. In addition, Myers has accepted thousands of dollars in campaign contributions from Burlington County GOP boss Glenn Paulsen and then-Bridge Commission chairman Garfield DeMarco, who looked the other way when the lobbying firm collected payments from the commission for work it didn't perform.

After pleading guilty to submitting bogus and inflated invoices for lobbying work, Stears said at his sentencing hearing that he was told to pay kickbacks to local Republicans. The U.S. Attorney's Office is still investigating the matter, but Myers has done nothing to stand up for the taxpayers and urge the prosecutors to get to the bottom of the scandal.

"Who is Mayor Myers trying to protect? " Warren said. "The roots of this rampant corruption run deep in his party, and his silence speaks volumes about whose side he's on -- and it's clearly not the taxpayers.

"Unlike Chris Myers, John Adler has a track record of taking on leaders of his own party to do what's right for taxpayers, " Warren said. "He led the fight to strip crooked politicians of their public pensions, and he fought to make sure that politicians convicted of public corruption would face mandatory criminal sentences. He also supports full reimbursement for any salary and benefits earned during the time of a corrupt official's years of service in question."

Warren said Myers owes the public answers to the following questions:

• Why has Mayor Myers been so silent during the countless scandals involving his political allies in Burlington County?
• What does he know?
• When did he know it?
• Has he remained silent because his campaign is being financed, in part, by key leaders with links to these scandals?
• Why hasn't he fought to recoup the millions of dollars stolen from taxpayers and tollpayers in this scandal?

"It's time for Mayor Myers to stand up to his political bosses and do the right thing," Warren said. "The ball is in his court."

A PROFILE IN PETTINESS
While Voters Seek Change and Leadership, Myers Resorts to Cheap Shots
Ignores Corruption in His Own Backyard; Makes Unwarranted Charges to Distract Attention from his Support for Bush's Disastrous Economic Policies

Contact: Mark Warren, (856) 222-9707

October 7, 2008

For more than a year, Chris Myers has turned a blind eye to wholesale corruption at the Burlington County Bridge Commission, which is run by his political allies. The scandal cost taxpayers hundreds of thousands of dollars, yet Myers never said a word. Now he once again is showing his low regard for the taxpayers by dropping any pretense that he is concerned with the financial crisis that threatens the economic security of all Americans – instead inexplicably deciding to criticize public safety improvements and other worthy projects benefiting the taxpayers.  

"While the voters are crying out for leadership amid the greatest economic crisis in our lifetime, Chris Myers is wasting the closing weeks of this campaign by hurling false, scurrilous personal attacks instead of engaging in a serious discussion of the issues," said Mark Warren, campaign manager for Third District congressional candidate John Adler. "Mayor Myers' behavior clearly shows that he is more interested in the old-style politics of personal destruction than finding solutions to the very serious problems that the voters care about. His blatant inattention to those issues is a slap in the face to the people of the Third District, who are looking for a strong and committed advocate for them and their families in Washington."

Warren said that Myers, while completely ignoring the serious issues on the minds of voters, has spent nearly a week leveling false accusations regarding Adler's support for public projects in his district. Warren said the programs receiving state funding were entirely legitimate, including Police Department & community center improvements.  He said that Adler was doing his job as a legislator to request the funding and found it bizarre and reckless that Myers would suggest otherwise. As Myers is well aware, Warren said, numerous state legislators, including a number of Republicans, asked for and received portions of the same fund of state money for projects in their home districts.

Warren said it was sheer hypocrisy for Myers to be standing shoulder-to-shoulder today with state Republican chairman Tom Wilson, a lobbyist and former partner of the lobbyist convicted of receiving hundreds of thousands of dollars in illicit payments from the Republican-run Burlington County Bridge Commission. The kickback scheme is still under investigation by federal officials.

"Has Chris Myers ever asked Tom Wilson to tell the U.S. Attorney's Office everything he knows about the Bridge Commission scam that ripped off so much money from the taxpayers?" Warren said. "Chris Myers has never said Word One about this scandal. Unlike John Adler, he has never challenged his Republican allies to come clean about the shameful conduct at the Bridge Commission, and he has never demanded that the hundreds of thousands of dollars stolen in the scandal be returned to the taxpayers."

"Perhaps now we know why Mayor Myers has remained silent," Warren said. "As his appearance with Tom Wilson shows, he is too close to the people associated with the sordid activities that occurred at the Bridge Commission."

Warren concluded by noting that Myers "clearly will do or say anything to divert attention from the issues of concern to the voters in this campaign. Like his ally and political fundraiser President Bush, Mayor Myers has repeatedly said that our economy is 'basically strong,' even as Americans and their families knew otherwise. It's evident that Chris Myers will stoop to anything to distract the voters' attention from that sad reality."

For Immediate Release:

October 2, 2008

Contact:

Mark Warren, 856.222.9707

ADLER SEEKS PUBLIC INPUT ON FINANCIAL CRISIS

Says Main Street America Should Have Seat at the Table as Washington Weighs Response to Emergency

Seeks Protections for Average Taxpayers  

Mt. Laurel, NJ – Calling the financial crisis America's top priority, Democratic congressional candidate John Adler will hold his second town hall meeting in a week tonight to determine how the crisis is affecting average Americans and to solicit their ideas on reforming the economy. While Washington is focused on a financial rescue of the nation's giant financial institutions, Adler wants to make sure that the impact on everyday Americans and their families is not being overlooked.

"The unprecedented events on Wall Street are having very serious consequences on every taxpayer in this district and across the nation, " Adler said. "While the immediate impact has been severe, the long-term fallout is potentially devastating to our citizens' financial futures unless we act quickly – and with the safeguards necessary to protect the taxpayers."

Adler said the most responsible way to resolve the crisis is to solicit the ideas of citizens, the small business community, academics and others. "As someone who is asking residents in the Third District to send me to Congress, I want them to tell me how some of the economic questions now on the table would affect them and their families. I want the input of real people – not the Wall Street barons and federal bureaucrats responsible for this mess."

In addition to taking questions from the audience, Adler will pose a series of questions to those in attendance. He will solicit their views on questions such as whether the emergency financial plan being debated in Congress gives away too much to financial institutions; whether the excessive pay severance packages awarded to the CEOs of those institutions should be curbed or banned; whether there are enough safeguards to protect average taxpayers; and whether there should be a moratorium on home foreclosures.

"The public, which has the most to lose in this economic emergency, deserves a seat at the table as we work our way out of it, " Adler said. "I am committed to giving them that voice. This is not a hypothetical election-year exercise. The economic meltdown is a real-life crisis being played out right in the middle of this campaign, and we must deal with it in an expeditious, responsible way."

The public forums illustrate the pro-active approach that Adler will take on issues facing the people of the Third District and the nation if elected to Congress.

Tonight’s forum will take place at Legacy Oaks Clubhouse, 2 Lowell Drive, Marlton, NJ from 7pm to 8pm.

John Adler's first television commercial

For Immediate Release: September 29, 2008
Contact: Mark Warren (856-222-9707)

(Mt. Laurel, NJ) – John Adler released the following statement regarding Congress’ failure to pass the bailout bill today:

“What occurred in Washington today underscores the need for new leadership and an end to the partisan finger-pointing that poisons our system. The American taxpayers deserve an expedient, responsible response to the economic crisis, and both parties need to put aside their petty differences and get the job done. Congress must pass a bill that puts our financial system in order while providing the safeguards required to protect taxpayers from bearing the brunt of this turmoil.

Although it is clear that the dire financial situation we find ourselves in was a direct consequence of House Republicans refusing to help clean up the mess that President Bush and Wall Street have created, both parties are obligated to find a solution that serves all Americans, creates sensible oversight, and ensures this never happens again.

Tomorrow is a new day. I am calling on Republicans and Democrats alike to get their act together for the good of the country and ensure that our families are protected as well as our financial institutions.”