Ex-NJ Transit compliance officer says he was fired for being whistleblower

<p>A former New Jersey Transit chief compliance officer says he was fired for being a &ldquo;whistleblower.&rdquo;</p>

News 12 Staff

Jan 24, 2018, 12:29 AM

Updated 2,284 days ago

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A former New Jersey Transit chief compliance officer says he was fired for being a “whistleblower.”
Todd Barretta says that he was let go from his position after only six months on the job. He say that this was done in an effort to keep him from speaking out about the agency’s troubles.
Gov. Phil Murphy announced this week that NJ Transit would undergo an audit after months of issues. Murphy called the agency a “national disgrace.” Barretta says that he believes that the audit will uncover deeply embedded problems.
“The entire culture and organization at the agency are just wrong,” Barretta says.  “There's wrong ideas, there's wrong practices. There's a complete lack of any vision whatsoever."
Barretta says that he is seeking whistleblower status.
“New Jersey Transit's system is not safe, it's not reliable, and it is not efficient,” he says.
More than 900,000 passengers rely on NJ Transit trains, buses and light rail each weekday.
The audit will look at the agency’s finances, leadership and other aspects.
Many riders tell News 12 New Jersey that buses and trains are often late and that tracks often need to be repaired. Other riders say that they are happy with how NJ Transit operates.
Murphy has said that NJ Transit has gone from being a national model of public transit to a national disgrace.
A spokesperson for NJ Transit said that the agency did not have any comment on Barretta’s allegations.


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