Oct 16, 6:47 PM EDT

U.S. attorney subpoenas legislative records on Bryant

October 16, 2006 AP
 
TRENTON, N.J. (AP) -- The U.S. Attorney's Office has subpoenaed legislative records related to Sen. Wayne Bryant in what appears to be a widening investigation into the influential lawmaker.

Leon Sokol, attorney for the Senate Democrats, said the subpoena was received by the Legislature's Office of Legislative Services.

He confirmed it seeks information on Bryant, but declined to discuss specifics because it involves a grand jury investigation.

Sokol said Senate Democrats led by Senate President Richard J. Codey, D-Essex, would comply.

"Sen. Codey, as Senate president, will cooperate fully with an investigation," Sokol said.

State and federal investigators have now subpoenaed records involving Bryant from Camden municipal agencies, the Gloucester County Board of Social Services, the state Treasury Department, Rutgers University, the University of Medicine and Dentistry of New Jersey and the state Department of Children and Families.

The probes seek documents related to Bryant's various government jobs and $1 million in state money that he steered to Camden as the chairman of the Senate's powerful budget committee.

Bryant, D-Camden, couldn't immediately be reached for comment on Monday and didn't attend Monday's Senate proceedings. He has previously declined to comment on the investigation.

Bryant resigned as budget chairman in September after a federal monitor's report found that he had held a no-work, $38,000-a-year job for UMDNJ. The report found Bryant helped get millions in state funding for the school while he held the position there.