TRENTON – Attorney General Matthew J. Platkin and the Office of Public Integrity and Accountability (OPIA) today announced the appointment of two co-directors who will lead the OPIA Corruption Bureau, designating Eric L. Gibson, previously a partner at a Philadelphia law firm and longtime former federal public corruption prosecutor, and Jeffrey J. Manis, the Bureau’s current chief and a former federal prosecutor, as the Bureau’s top attorneys.

Gibson, who most recently was chairman of Philadelphia-based Post & Schell, P.C.’s Internal Investigations & White-Collar Defense Practice Group, and Manis assumed their new leadership roles with the Bureau effective October 21, 2024. They will oversee attorneys and investigators who prosecute cases involving public corruption, official misconduct, bribery, election fraud, and other betrayals of the public trust.

“The cases prosecuted by the Corruption Bureau tend to be high-profile, high-stakes, and complex,” said Attorney General Platkin. “The prosecution team frequently finds itself in the spotlight as it holds powerful individuals and institutions accountable. Having these two individuals and their long histories dealing with those challenges, including at the Department of Justice, will be a tremendous asset to the people of New Jersey.”

“Eric Gibson and Jeff Manis both bring substantial public corruption prosecutorial experience to their new roles,” said Drew Skinner, Executive Director of OPIA. “I look forward to working with them as we continue to hold accountable those who would erode the public’s trust in government in New Jersey.”

“It is a great honor to be chosen for this position and to return to the public sector,” said OPIA Corruption Bureau Co-Director Gibson. “Public corruption sows distrust, disillusionment, and outrage in the public – a sense that the government doesn’t represent or work for the people, but takes advantage of them. That is why it is so critical to hold offenders to account.”

“I’m grateful for the opportunity to continue leading OPIA’s all-important work to battle public corruption,” said OPIA Corruption Bureau Co-Director Manis. “Our office will tirelessly pursue those who misuse positions of power and public resources for unlawful ends.”

Gibson is a former state and federal prosecutor who previously handled a variety of complicated, sensitive public corruption investigations and trials centered around racketeering, fraud, money laundering, extortion, and other state and federal offenses.

Gibson was formerly deputy chief of the Corruption and Civil Rights Unit of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Pennsylvania, supervising a unit that investigated and prosecuted officials suspected of misconduct at all levels of government. Earlier, Gibson served with the U.S. Department of Justice in Washington, D.C., as a trial attorney in both the Criminal Division’s Public Integrity Section and the Criminal Section of the Civil Rights Division. Among other matters, Gibson handled the prosecution of former U.S. Congressman Chaka Fattah Sr., who was convicted of racketeering conspiracy involving public corruption schemes.

Gibson was honored in 2008 for his work as a prosecutor, receiving the U.S. Attorney General’s Award for Exceptional Service – the Justice Department’s highest award for employee performance.

Gibson most recently led the practice group at Post & Schell responsible for counseling and defending organizations and individuals under investigation or facing criminal charges. Gibson also conducted internal investigations.

Manis is currently OPIA Corruption Bureau Chief, supervising and participating in investigations and prosecutions of complex, high-profile, white-collar cases involving various forms of public corruption, government fraud, and other crimes. He recently returned to OPIA in a supervisory capacity after leaving the office to serve as an Assistant U.S. Attorney with the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of New Jersey. There, for most of his tenure he was assigned to the Special Prosecutions Division, which handled high-priority federal public corruption cases involving bribery and kickback schemes, extortion, wire fraud, and other offenses. Among other matters, Manis had a lead role in the investigation and prosecution of former Newark Deputy Mayor Carmelo Garcia on charges of bribery and wire fraud. During his previous tenure as a Deputy Attorney General and Deputy Chief of the Corruption Bureau, Manis also successfully investigated and prosecuted numerous high-profile defendants in connection with white-collar crimes, including former New Jersey Assemblyman Alberto Coutinho, former New Jersey Assemblyman and gubernatorial candidate Robert Schroeder, and former Paterson Mayor Jose Torres. Manis also has been the recipient of five Attorney General’s Awards for his work ferreting out and combating public corruption.

Before beginning his career as a prosecutor, Manis spent years in private practice as a commercial litigator with Day Pitney LLP, and he clerked for two federal judges: the Honorable Stanley Brotman and the Honorable Joseph Irenas of the U.S. District Court for the District of New Jersey, in Camden County.

Gibson and Manis will report to OPIA Executive Director Drew Skinner, who assumed that role in April 2024 having previously served as Senior Counsel to General Platkin. Prior to joining the Department of Law & Public Safety, Executive Director Skinner spent more than eight years with the United States Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of New York. At SDNY, Skinner was Co-Chief of the Violent & Organized Crime Unit supervising approximately 20 federal prosecutors responsible for murder, gang, and sex-trafficking cases. Skinner was the recipient of the Attorney General’s Award for Distinguished Service in 2019.

Before becoming a prosecutor, Executive Director Skinner worked at a Manhattan white-collar defense firm, and clerked for the Honorable Chester Straub of the United States Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit, and the Honorable John G. Koeltl of the United States District Court for the Southern District of New York.