Jersey City School Board President To 'Vigorously' Fight Charges

JERSEY CITY, NJ — Embattled Jersey City Board of Education President Sudhan Thomas said he is "not guilty" of the charges filed against him and will "vigorously" fight them.

Thomas and four people, including two other elected officials, were charged with taking bribes as part of a major investigation of political corruption in Hudson and Morris counties.

"This Attorney General's Office has targeted me because I was the first school board president to sue the state of New Jersey under Democratic Leadership for the over $2.1 billion New Jersey owes the Jersey City, which we undertook against all odds and threats to not undertake."

Thomas also said officials "want to make me an example" because he "dared to go after former Democratic Governor [Jim] McGreevey, and expose over $15 million in public funds that McGreevey misappropriated, which have been to evidenced with, but are sitting on sans action."

Thomas also said that, as a volunteer school board member, he has "put the interests of the 30,000 children of Jersey City and our 6,000 employees as paramount over the last several years."

Related: Jersey City School Board Pres., 4 More Charged With Taking Bribes

Thomas was charged with second-degree bribery in official and political matters and second-degree acceptance or receipt of unlawful benefit by a public servant for official behavior, New Jersey Attorney General Gurbir Grewal announced Thursday. Four others, including former State Assemblyman Jason O'Donnell, were also charged as a result of the investigation.

Thomas allegedly accepted $35,000 in cash bribes, $25,000 one time and $10,000 another time, Grewal said.

In return for the cash, Thomas allegedly agreed to arrange for the Board of Education to hire a cooperating witness to be hired as a special counsel, Grewal said. Thomas and the witness allegedly discussed specific work projects the witness would receive from the board, he said.

Thomas and the cooperating witness, a tax attorney, had a conversation regarding the cash payments, officials said.

The witness said to Thomas, "Make me special counsel for..." "Real estate," Thomas said.

"Yeah, real estate... that's perfect," the witness said. "Yeah, nobody questions anything... nobody questions all of that stuff," Thomas said.

Here is Thomas' complete statement:

"I am not guilty and will be vigrously fighting the charges, not just to prove my innocence, but the massive cover up this AG's office has embarked on in support of his political ambition bankrupt of every day American values.
"I realize this is unsettling for the citizens of Jersey City and across the state of New Jersey, particularly a few days before the holidays, but 10 days after the attack on Jersey City.
"This Attorney General's Office has targeted me because I was the first school board president to sue the state of New Jersey under Democratic leadership for the over $2.1 billion New Jersey owes the Jersey City schools, which we undertook against all odds and threats to not undertake.
"They additionally want to make me an example because I dared to go after former Democratic Gov. Jim McGreevey and expose over $15 million in public funds that McGreevey misappropriated, which they have been evidenced with, but are sitting on sans action.
"This attorney general does not like the mayor of Jersey City. [Attorney General Gurbir Grewal] was forced to acknowledge that the terrorist attacks on Jersey City targeted the Jewish Community after our mayor came out in front to acknowledge that 12/10 attacks as terrorist attacks targeting the Jewish Community, which I seconded.
"This AG's office refuses to issue a 'case number' to investigate McGreevey for over six months despite overwhelming evidence in support of several millions of dollars of misappropriation by him while creating a pre-Christmas/holiday news splash to divert the citizens of NJ from the modern day gestapo style operation they run unmindful of civil libertieis of citizens and state and federal law.
"Several officials from within his office, the Democratic Party, and across the state have reached out to us to share with us a litany of the illegal activities carried out by the AG in blind pursuit of his ambition to become the next governor of New Jersey.
"I am a volunteer board member who has put the interests of the 30,000 children of Jersey City and our 6,000 employees as paramount over the last several years.
"I am available to speak to anyone who wants to speak to me. My phone number is 609-647-7885 and my email is sudhan.thomas@gmail.com.
"Thank you for your support and happy holidays."

Email: daniel.hubbard@patch.com