LD40 Senator Kristin Corrado has introduced a resolution to constitute a special legislative committee to conduct a broad investigation into the hiring practices of Governor Phil Murphy.

Corrado said in a statement: “The floodgates have opened with numerous reports of questionable hires by the Murphy Administration, including a corrupt official convicted on federal bribery charges, one with multiple allegations of sexual assault, and another who was involved in a major campaign finance scandal,” said Corrado. “We must investigate why the governor thought it was appropriate to hire these individuals into positions of public trust. We must examine the safeguards that exist in the hiring process, and learn how they failed or were sidestepped to allow Governor Murphy to reward his campaign workers with highly paid positions at taxpayer expense.”

Corrado highlighted several hires of the administration that she says raise substantial concern:

• Marcellus Jackson, a former Passaic City councilman convicted of federal corruption charges for accepting bribes in an FBI sting operation, was hired as a $70,000 special assistant in the Department of Education. Prior to his hire, Jackson worked on Governor Murphy’s gubernatorial campaign. His employment in government was prohibited by State law due to his prior conviction.

• Albert J. Alvarez, another former Murphy campaign employee, was accused of sexual assault by a female colleague, Ms. Katie Brennan, while working on the campaign. The allegations were investigated by the Hudson County Prosecutor’s Office. Despite Brennan informing the governor’s transition team of concerns, Alvarez was hired into a $140,000 post as chief of staff in the Schools Development Authority. This spring, Brennan again tried to inform the governor’s senior staff, and Governor Murphy directly, of the allegations, to no avail. Alvarez resigned two weeks ago when it was clear that Brennan’s allegations would soon be published. Since then, a second woman has come forward claiming to have been sexually assaulted by Alvarez.

• Derrick Green is reported to have been paid $2 million by the Murphy campaign for consulting work. He previously was under investigation for his role in a major campaign finance scandal in Bermuda. Green was hired into a $140,000 position in the Secretary of State’s office. Employees of that office do not report knowing Green or ever seeing him in the office, leading to questions about the validity of his taxpayer funded position.

Governor Murphy yesterday announced an investigation to examine the hiring of Alvarez and the handling of Brennan’s allegations, along with the hiring practices of his transition team.  The Governor appointed former AG Peter Verniero to conduct the inquiry.  

Corrado yesterday had sent a letter to Senate President Sweeney post-press conference, calling for a legislative hearing into the administration’s hiring practices, saying that it ‘appears the focus of that effort [the announced investigation] will be limited to the hiring practices of his transition team’ and seems unlikely to ‘answer the serious questions that have been raised’. The letter followed a joint state by Corrado and Senate Minority Leader Kean on Sunday saying that the allegations in the WSJ article necessitate legislative hearings. 

Amid calls for investigations and hearings by lawmakers, Corrado said her resolution, SCR-147, is the only proposal that is broad enough in scope to address all of the existing concerns effectively.