A state grand jury in Trenton has indicted Christopher Milam, a current commissioner and former vice chairman of the South Jersey Transportation Authority (SJTA) Board, and Bryan Bush, a former board commissioner. Both men are residents of Sewell in Gloucester County. The indictment follows an investigation by the Office of Public Integrity and Accountability (OPIA) Corruption Bureau.
The charges include conspiracy, official misconduct, and perjury. Prosecutors allege that between February and May 2023, Milam and Bush conspired to deny payment for services already performed by an engineering firm as an act of political retaliation. The indictment also accuses them of lying under oath during their grand jury testimony regarding their reasons for blocking the payments.
“This indictment indicates that these defendants abused their positions of power to get retribution,” said Attorney General Matthew J. Platkin. “Scheming to unjustly use a public office as a weapon to manipulate and punish political opponents is misconduct, and those who engage in this type of behavior will be held to account.”
Drew Skinner, Executive Director of OPIA, added: “The defendants allegedly used their positions at the South Jersey Transportation Authority as leverage to pursue a political vendetta, betraying the public that they were meant to serve. As alleged, they then lied about the scheme under oath.”
According to court documents and evidence from the investigation, Milam and Bush prevented payment on invoices submitted by a civil engineering firm due to political motives rather than legitimate business concerns. Investigators allege that during three SJTA Board meetings in 2023, both men voted against approving payments owed to the firm. Their votes reportedly blocked approval each time since five votes were needed for passage.
The dispute is linked to a broader political conflict involving Democratic Party activities in New Jersey. In February 2023, Milam became chairman of the Democratic Executive Committee for Washington Township in Gloucester County. An employee at the affected engineering firm serves as a Mercer County Commissioner who had not followed instructions from party leadership regarding neutrality in a local primary election.
Evidence cited includes text messages between Milam and Bush indicating that their actions were retaliatory against this commissioner’s defiance. One message from Milam read: “They cut South Jersey in Mercer County so now we vote no.”
Authorities further allege that both men provided false explanations under oath about why they opposed payment approval—Milam claimed his decision was based on issues with the engineering firm's performance which investigators say arose only after he began voting against payments.
All charges remain accusations; both defendants are presumed innocent unless proven guilty beyond reasonable doubt in court.
If convicted on second-degree charges such as conspiracy or official misconduct, each could face five to ten years in prison with fines up to $150,000. Third-degree perjury charges carry potential sentences of three to five years' imprisonment with fines up to $15,000.
Assistant Attorney General Michael Grillo and Deputy Attorney General Amanda Nini are prosecuting this case for OPIA under supervision from Eric Gibson and Jeffrey J. Manis.
