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Redflex Traffic Systems of Arizona, one of two red-light cameras in New Jersey, bribed officials in 13 states, including New Jersey, a fired executive contends in a lawsuit.

(Tony Kurdzuk/The Star-Ledger)

A fired executive from one of New Jersey’s red-light camera vendors contends in a lawsuit filed in Arizona that the company provided lavish gifts and bribes to government officials in 13 states — including New Jersey — to secure new contracts.

The brief but bombshell reference to New Jersey and other states in a 13-page counterclaim was made by Aaron Rosenberg, former nationwide lead salesman for Redflex Traffic Systems of Phoenix. He did not mention specific municipalities from any of the states.

Rosenberg noted in the suit that Redflex “bestowed gifts and bribes on ... officials in dozens of municipalities within, but not limited to the following states: California, Washington, Arizona, New Mexico, Texas, Colorado, Massachusetts, North Carolina, Florida, New Jersey, Tennessee, Virginia, and Georgia.”

He said Redflex bribed local officials with meals, golf outings and tickets to professional football and baseball games. The expenses were listed as categories such as “entertainment” and “celebratory tokens,” according to the suit.

Redflex lost its $100 million red-light camera contract with the city of Chicago amid allegations of bribery, following reporting by the Chicago Tribune.

“Redflex was fired in Chicago for corruption. Nobody gets fired for corruption in Chicago,” said Assemblyman Declan O’Scanlon (R-Monmouth), an outspoken critic of the cameras in New Jersey, who called for an investigation.

Redflex has red-light cameras in Newark, Edison, New Brunswick, Cherry Hill, Englewood Cliffs, Springfield and Stratford.

Newark has 19 intersections with red-light cameras — one-quarter of the 76 intersections with red-light cameras in New Jersey. The busiest red-light camera in the state for violations is in Cherry Hill.

“Redflex Traffic Systems denies the allegations in the counterclaim which are from Aaron Rosenberg, a former executive vice president, terminated for violating company policies and procedures,” Redflex said in a statement. “Redflex will aggressively defend itself against the allegations as well as prosecute its claims against the former executive. We are committed to transparency and honesty in our business practices. Our focus continues to be on providing best in class customer service and technology to our clients to make their communities safer.”

Esmeralda Diaz Cameron, director of communications for the mayor's office in Newark, said Friday night that the city accepted no gifts from Redflex.

“The City of Newark’s red-light camera program (has) been run ethically and we continue to focus on the public safety aspects of the program," she said. "We are confident that Redflex has made the necessary changes to ensure that this type of activity never happens again. The City of Newark is proud of the safety benefits that we have seen here in our city, which to date has seen a 51 percent decrease in total accidents at some of the city’s most dangerous intersections.”

Rosenberg was fired by Redflex a year ago after the Chicago controversy became public, and the company sued him in the Superior Court of the State of Arizona for misappropriation of company funds. In his answer/counterclaim, Rosenberg said he was simply "carrying out orders" from Redflex.



O'Scanlon said the lawsuit and the firing of Redflex in Chicago raise huge red flags.

“We have an executive of one of the (red-light camera) companies admitting that it was a standard business practice to bribe local officials,” he said. “That’s huge. It’s outrageous.”

Owners of vehicles caught on camera going through a red light, or failing to come to a complete stop on a right turn on red, receive tickets of $85 or $140. Proponents say they increase safety while raising revenue for cash-strapped towns. Opponents call them a money grab and say they increase rear-end accidents.

On Thursday, O'Scanlon stood with the mayor of Brick Township at a news conference in which that Ocean County community became the first New Jersey municipality to pull the plug on its red-light cameras.

Brick has a different vendor, American Traffic Solutions, also of Arizona.

The cameras at three intersections in the Shore town will go dark on Feb. 18, after new Mayor John Ducey said he was not convinced the automated traffic cops were making the roads safer.

One of the intersections, Brick Boulevard and Chambers Bridge Road, had 13 accidents and 5 right-angle accidents before the cameras went in and 28 accidents and 8 right-angle crashes in the last full year, Ducey said.

“I will not continue the practices of the past and try to balance our budget through punitive measures,” he said.

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