McGreevy Appointee Kevin Ryan Accused!

High Level Coverup in New Jersey?

By Sarah Wallace
(New York-WABC)

Governor McGreevey has been hit with another scandal
-- there are serious accusations against high level
officials in his administration.

The charges come from a veteran police chief who
claims those officials conspired to get rid of him by
pursuing bogus charges.

The Investigators' Sarah Wallace has now obtained
evidence that could put those officials on the hot
seat.

Let the finger-pointing begin. We're told by sources
that New Jersey's commissioner for Human Services is
taking the allegations we've uncovered "very
seriously."

The bottom line here -- someone in the administration
is lying the question is: who?

Raymond Brennan, Human Services Police Chief: "The
people in authority who were involved in this
conspired together to get me off the job."

But Department of Human Services Police Chief Raymond
Brennan refused to go quietly when he was accused of
participating in a meeting where a supervisor
allegedly made racial remarks. A Departmental
investigation concluded the chief had been in the
room, and failed to report the incident.

Raymond Brennan: "They called me up to the office and
they said that I would be terminated ... get your
things out of the office and leave the building."

After 18 years as chief, and a sterling career before
that as a Lt. Colonel of the State Police. But the
77-year-old Chief fought back, and his daughter became
his prime advocate..

Patricia Brennan, Chief's Daughter: "He's a man of
dignity and honor. And for them to have done this to
him is despicable."

This now-retired police officer has testified that
Human Services officials pressured him to incriminate
the Chief.

Sarah Wallace: "What did they want you to say?"
George Armbruch, Retired Lieutenant: "That the chief
was in the room."
Sarah Wallace: "And ... ?"
George Armbruch: "He wasn't."
Sarah Wallace: "He wasn't?"
George Armbruch: "No, he wasn't."
Sarah Wallace: "You were there."
George Armbruch: "I was there."

Still, the Chief was out of work for months while he
waited for an appeal.

Raymond Brennan: "That's very difficult to take after
50 years of police work."

He says he is now relegated to a teeny office with
nothing to do.

Raymond Brennan: "I went from a chief's position, to a
chief's position with no authority."

Department officials finally reconsidered, offering
the Chief a 45-day suspension. He was the only one
disciplined -- the Supervisor accused of actually
making the racist remarks was allowed to retire while
denying any wrongdoing.

And here's the bombshell. It's just been revealed that
at the time officials made the decision to pursue the
charges against the chief, they allegedly had a
conversation about his age.

The revelation came from a Department lawyer who
investigated the original incident. John Zajacrecently
testified under oath that as officials were deciding
the Chief's fate, they also talked about how old he
would be the end of the disciplinary process.

There we

"Remarks about the Chief being old, that we can't have
an old in place ..."
-- Court Record


.... and further:

"There were comments, sort of jokes, about him being
in a wheelchair."
-- Court Record


Raymond Brennan: "I was absolutely amazed that he said
that in the courtroom."

As for reporting the disparaging age remarks,
Zajacsaid he did mention them to his immediate
supervisor. But to do more?

"Well, I don't know really who to go to, you know,
these were the highest up. I guess I could have called
the Governor."
-- Court Record


Zajac told us his testimony speaks for itself.

The officials allegedly involved in the age discussion
we Kevin Ryan, now the child advocate for the
state, his current chief of staff Alburta Jones, and
Alma Joseph, still a commissioner with Human Services.


They all declined interviews, but claim through a
spokesperson the age conversation never happened.

A spokesman for the department told us:

"There have been serious charges raised. We're
reviewing testimony and if warranted, we will seek an
outside review."
-- Ed Rogan, Spokesman, NJ Dept. of Human Services


The Brennan family says they've received offers to
settle the chief's case.

Patricia Bennan: "The second offer was, we'll give you
back the 45 days, and your legal fees, if you do not
sue us.

Raymond Brennan: "And I also turned that down, because
there's a principal involved here. I'm not being
bought off with anything. ... I'll resign when I deem
fit, and not before."

An administrative judge is scheduled to hear more
testimony next month in the disciplinary case against
the chief. In the meantime, he is planning to file a
federal civil rights lawsuit against the officials who
allegedly made those disparaging age remarks.

http://abclocal.go.com/wabc/news/inv...nservices.html