Maria Rivera had distinguished herself in 20 years of service to the city of Perth Amboy, where she had risen from a part-time worker to the head purchasing agent.
In administering millions in public contracts, Rivera won a reputation as a hard and honest worker and eventually was named North Jersey chapter chair of the National Institute for Government Purchasing.
But in June of last year, Rivera was fired after pointing out that the city’s insurance broker was in violation of bidding practices and state pay-to-play laws.
Rivera’s story is found in a whistleblower’s lawsuit now making its way through the Superior Court in Middlesex County. In the lawsuit against the city, Mayor Helmin Caba, Business Administrator Talib Aquil, and City Director of Law William Opel, which was filed late last year and was first reported by My Central Jersey on Jan. 13, Rivera says she was approached by state and federal agents investigating the city’s insurance contracts.
The case is significant because it echoes broader allegations of waste and fraud associated with insurance brokers and their lucrative role in bringing health care coverage to local government workers across New Jersey.
In recent months, both the state comptroller’s office and the state auditor have issued new reports detailing how the awarding of health benefit contracts in many towns and school districts violates state law and is marred by conflict of interest among private vendors who work for and manage local insurance...
These scam texts often threaten legal action and include malicious links to steal personal information. The Colorado DMV has confirmed it does not contact people via unsolicited texts to demand pa...