The New Jersey State Comptroller, with a duty to expose waste in government, has yet to investigate the widespread occurrence of double-dipping by public officials. If he does, Comptroller Matthew Boxer could start with his own investigations division.
Investigator Rick Nuel receives $175,254 a year from the state — a $92,000 paycheck plus an $83,254 pension — New Jersey Watchdog found. In June 2011, Nuel retired at age 46 as a State Police captain.
One week later, Boxer hired Nuel as a special investigator for a unit “charged with detecting and uncovering fraud, abuse, waste and misconduct involving the management of public funds and the performance of government officers, employees and programs.”
It is another act in the follies of a state pension system that faces a $36-billion shortfall, yet allows Nuel and many other public workers to retire with fat pensions at relatively young ages, then return to the state payroll.
Nuel is slated to rake in $2.8 million from the State Police Retirement System by the time he reaches age 80, his statistical life expectancy. And for the foreseeable future, Nuel also will draw a near-six figure salary each year from the comptroller.
Former comptroller’s investigator David Stebbins enjoyed a similar deal. He received two state checks totaling $175,083 a year — $92,000 in salary plus an $83,083 pension. In January 2011, Boxer hired Stebbins 17 days after he retired as a State Police lieutenant at age 50. Earlier this year, Stebbins left the comptroller’s staff.
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