Indicted today by the state Attorney General,  South Jersey Transportation Authority Board of Commissioner Chris Milam decried what he called the "pure political" chicanery of AG Matt Platkin, who after failing to secure the conviction of South Jersey Powerbroker George Norcross, couldn't rest without trying to convict somebody, Milam said.

From the AG's Office:

Based on an investigation by the OPIA Corruption Bureau, a state grand jury in Trenton voted to indict former Vice Chairman of the SJTA Board and current Commissioner Christopher Milam, 46, as well as former Board Commissioner Bryan Bush, 53, both residents of Sewell in Gloucester County, New Jersey. The indictment charges a total of six counts, accusing the defendants of conspiracy (2nd degree), official misconduct (2nd degree), and perjury (3rd degree).

In response to today's indictment, Milam issued a statement.

"From day one this has been a political spectacle," he said. "Matt Platkin is a political hack who threw his fishing line and bobber into the deep sea to catch a whale. Now he has resorted to netting two minnows. I look forward to my day in court. I also look forward to everyone in NJ finding out why our appointed Attorney General has politicized his office and tasked his staff of good attorneys to go after political nemesis’s. Unfortunately for Matt the public and voters will find out exactly how politically motivated all of his actions are and have been. This is an attempt to smear the reputations of myself and Bryan Bush. We are his settle plan since he was embarrassed in his attempt to get the big political folks. Again I maintain my innocence and look forward to making sure that we hold that office to a higher standard than the current political witch hunts that are happening."

Milam admitted he did not find the indictment altogether surprising. He's been living under a legal Sword of Damocles for 14 months, and new at some point it would fall, especially after a judge tossed Platkin's case against GN3.

From the New Jersey Monitor earlier this year:

"A Superior Court judge on Wednesday dismissed all charges lodged in a racketeering indictment against Democratic power broker George Norcross and others, finding the indictment failed to state the elements of a crime.

"Judge Peter Warshaw’s dismissal comes just over a month after he heard oral arguments in which attorneys for Norcross and five others charged in the alleged conspiracy argued the case must be dismissed because prosecutors had failed to name criminal conduct in their indictment.

“The indictment must be dismissed because its factual allegations do not constitute extortion or criminal coercion as a matter of law,” the judge wrote in his order to dismiss the charges."

Milam this evening told InsiderNJ:

"When you go 14 months without a single appearance in court, when for 14 months, your life is on hold, you know that at any given moment [your life can change]," Milam said. "I never agree with our president but I can see the legitimacy on some level of the case he makes about people politicizing these offices. All he's [Platkin's] doing is political vengeance, which is ironic, because that's what he says Bryan and I are doing."

As for Norcross, "Neither of us knows the man," Milam told InsiderNJ. "I've spoke to the man three times in my entire life. Look, anybody I talk to sees what's going on. everyone understands that Matt Platkin swung and he missed on the homerun and now he's bunting to see if he can get on first base."

The commissioner lamented the impact the case has had on his reputation but remains committed to clearing his name, and expresses optimism at his chances.

"It's no secret Matt Platkin has political aspirations," Milam said. "If that's what happened, if what he says happened, certainly I could see people not liking it. If I was an asshole, okay, I'm an asshole. But you're not proving I broke any laws."