By Seth Augenstein, The Star-Ledger
NEWTON — The three Sussex County Community College trustees who were on the payroll of an engineering firm they also hired at the school weren’t aware of their ethical obligations required by state law and the school’s ethics code, an independent investigation found Monday.
But experts doubt that.
“If they say they are unaware, then they are lying or incompetent,” said Brigid Harrison, a professor of political science at Montclair State University.
“It would be unusual for three members to not know their responsibilities,” added Alex Plinio, co-founder of the Institute for Ethical Leadership at the Rutgers Business School. “Perception is as important as reality when it comes to these situations.”
Trustees Glen Vetrano and Edward Leppert — both Gov. Chris Christie appointees — and Glenn Gavan all did paid work for Sparta-based firm CP Engineers. The three also variously voted to approve work for the firm over the last sixteen months.
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