Trenton, NJ – A state grand jury has indicted a current and former South Jersey Transportation Authority (SJTA) board member, accusing them of orchestrating a scheme to block payments to an engineering firm as political retribution—and then lying about it under oath.
Christopher Milam, 46, a current SJTA Commissioner and former Vice Chairman, and Bryan Bush, 53, a former Board Commissioner, both of Sewell, NJ, face six charges including conspiracy, official misconduct, and perjury. The indictment follows an investigation by the Office of Public Integrity and Accountability (OPIA), which alleges the pair used their official roles to punish a firm connected to a political opponent.
Prosecutors say Milam and Bush conspired between February and May 2023 to deny payment for engineering services that had already been completed, targeting a firm where an employee was a Mercer County Commissioner who had defied party directives during a local Democratic primary.
According to court documents, Milam texted Bush saying, “They cut South Jersey in Mercer County so now we vote no,” just before a board vote.
The indictment alleges the pair deliberately voted to block payments during three SJTA board meetings, stalling the firm’s invoices for months. Their votes reportedly prevented the board from reaching the five-vote threshold needed to release payment, even though the services had already been rendered.
The charges also include allegations that both men committed perjury during their grand jury testimony. Prosecutors say Milam falsely cited operational issues with the firm as his reason for voting no, though those claims were contradicted by the investigation and only surfaced after their voting actions had already begun.
Attorney General Matthew Platkin said the indictment reflects a misuse of public office for personal and political aims, while Drew Skinner, Executive Director of OPIA, accused the pair of betraying their public trust and then lying to cover it up.