TRENTON, NJ – Senator Michael Testa has called for immediate legislative action to investigate the New Jersey Attorney General’s Office and its handling of a 2019 prosecution involving a businessman with ties to U.S. Senator Bob Menendez.
Testa, a member of the Senate Judiciary Committee, urged the Legislature to return to Trenton to authorize subpoena power for the committee and to retain special counsel.
This move is aimed at facilitating a comprehensive investigation into the Attorney General’s Office under the administration for former Attorney General Gurbir Grewal.
“When you have allegations of elected officials pressuring our State attorney general’s office to influence the outcome of a prosecution, the State must demand answers,” said Testa. “We cannot ignore the alleged corruption and influence peddling that occurred within our State offices.”
Initial reports suggest that former New Jersey Attorney General Gurbir Grewal is named in the indictment of U.S. Senator Bob Menendez over an alleged attempt to influence the prosecution led by the State. The defendant in the case ultimately pled guilty to the State’s charges but did not serve jail time.
New Jersey Attorney General Matt Platkin said today that his office will begin an investigation into the claim.
“The conduct alleged in the indictment occurred prior to my tenure as Attorney General, and involved a matter that was resolved prior to my time in office,” Platkin said in a statement. “My Office has cooperated fully with the Southern District of New York’s investigation. We will continue to do so. We are also engaged in our own independent internal inquiry into the allegations set forth in the indictment.”