Attorney General Gurbir S. Grewal announced that the Attorney General’s Office has filed an Order to Show Cause in New Jersey Superior Court seeking to remove Atlantic City Mayor Frank Gilliam from office under New Jersey’s Forfeiture of Public Office Statute, N.J.S.A. 2C:51-2.

The action follows Gilliam’s guilty plea in federal court today to a wire fraud charge filed by the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of New Jersey.  Under the state statute, when the defendant is convicted of an offense under the laws of another state or the United States that triggers forfeiture under New Jersey’s statute, the Attorney General or a County Prosecutor must file an application in state court seeking the removal from office in order to effectuate the forfeiture.  Those papers were filed this afternoon in Superior Court in Mercer County by the Office of Public Integrity and Accountability.

Attorney General Grewal stated, “The residents of Atlantic City deserve immediate action to remove Mayor Gilliam, who demonstrated by his criminal conduct that he is not fit for office.  We have filed papers in state court seeking his swift removal.  I commend the U.S. Attorney’s Office and FBI for securing this guilty plea.  Together we must foster a culture of integrity in New Jersey government to safeguard the public interest.”