(FRANKLIN TWP., April 15, 2008) – The overwhelming majority of officeholders are good but they are being defined by an unethical minority, U.S. Attorney Christopher J. Christie told a gathering of municipal and county officials in Warren County.

It’s a situation that promotes public cynicism and “puts our system of government at risk,” Christie noted.

In a program on ethics in public office sponsored by the Warren County Board of Chosen Freeholders, Christie remarked that “Any act of dishonesty in office betrays the public trust.”

Christie said all public officials should remember the “simple stuff” that they learned from their parents and know in their hearts. “You don’t get something for nothing in this world,” he said, noting, “In this business, reputation is all you’ve got.”

Christie, who has been the U.S. Attorney for New Jersey for the past six years, said the motto of his office is “no case too small,” reflecting zero tolerance for public corruption. During his tenure, his office has accrued a record of 126 convictions in public corruption cases, with no acquittals. The latest was the April 16 conviction of former Newark mayor Sharpe James, found guilty of steering sales of city property at below market rates to a girlfriend who quickly resold the properties for massive profits.

Christie’s visit was arranged by Warren County Counsel Joseph J. Bell.