Will New Jersey Assembly really be able to police itself? All previous cases point to “no”. Independent investigations are needed at the Federal level, with a prosecutor who wants to clean up government.

TRENTON: The Assembly Republican Policy Committee will hold its second public hearing Wednesday to examine public corruption and how to combat it. Assembly Republican Whip Jon Bramnick, committee chairman, will facilitate the hearing which will explore the economic impact of public corruption on New Jersey and its residents.

Joe Epstein/THE STAR-LEDGERAssemblyman Jon Bramnick speaks to the assembly about the bill on holding dual offices in the Assembly chambers in Trenton, June 2007

The committee plans to use its findings to draft legislation to prevent further corruption. Guest speakers scheduled to testify include Donald Conway, a certified public accountant who specializes in securities fraud, forensic accounting, insolvency and reorganization, and litigation support, and Richard Rivera, a former West New York police officer who was a whistleblower in a corruption case that resulted in the conviction and imprisonment of the town’s former police chief. Rivera is currently a private investigator who specializes in white collar crime. Members of the public are invited to testify.