A controversial state anti-corruption unit could be disbanded or absorbed as New Jersey Attorney General Jen Davenport eyeballs efficiencies in the office she took over in January.
Davenport told legislators during an Assembly budget hearing Wednesday in Trenton that she plans to restructure her office — and that the Office for Public Integrity and Accountability is one area she is mulling for change.
That office, which former attorney general Gurbir Grewal created in 2018 to investigate misconduct and restore public trust in government, has logged enough high-profile fumbles and taken so long on its investigations in recent years that several state lawmakers have called for outside oversight.
“I think it is clear that’s now a bit of a third rail, right? ‘OPIA.’ You say it, and it draws attention. And that is not how any of us want to do our jobs,” Davenport said. “So I am taking a look at that across the board and making sure that when people hear something about our department, it is assigned and appropriated with the words that are ‘integrity, justice, fairness,’ which is exactly what our people are doing every day.”
The issue came up after Assemblywoman Carol Murphy (D-Burlington) asked Davenport if she would restructure any operations in the state’s sprawling Department of Law and Public Safety, which has 24 divisions, offices, commissions, and boards, that are not codified into law.
Davenport pointed to the public integrity and accountability office, as well as the Office of the Insurance Fraud Prosecutor and the Division of Criminal Justice, saying she wants to eliminate overlap and duplication. She stressed, though, that watchdog work would continue.
“We’re not stopping anything. We’re focused on corruption. We’re focused on making sure that we’re doing the hard work that’s necessary to keep our state safe. But whether there will be restructuring there, that’s something we’re taking a look at now,” she said.
Assemblyman Michael Inganamort (R-Morris) called the public integrity and accountability office “kind of a mess.” But Davenport defended the office, saying its flubs have unfairly overshadowed its successes and that its anti-corruption mission remains important.
Inganamort also encouraged Davenport to follow up on former Comptroller Kevin Walsh’s investigations into public fraud, waste, and abuse, complaining that former Gov. Phil Murphy’s administration rarely acted on his findings and recommendations.
“I’d like to know when you’re going to dedicate the time to prosecute these very specific instances of fraud that have already been uncovered. The legwork has been done. They’re just waiting for you to prosecute them,” Inganamort said.
Davenport said she couldn’t comment on what her office is investigating or prosecuting but assured him that fighting public corruption remains a priority for her staff.
Wednesday’s hearing was the first for the state Department of Law and Public Safety, which would get $1.7 billion in the $60.7 billion budget Gov. Mikie Sherrill has proposed for the fiscal year that begins July 1. State police would get the biggest chunk of that appropriation, at almost $516 million, according to budget documents.
The Assembly’s budget committee heard about three hours of testimony Wednesday from Davenport, state police Superintendent Jeanne Hengemuhle, and other law and public safety officials.
The panel’s members asked about a wide range of issues, including World Cup security and spending, juvenile justice, immigration enforcement, the rising cost and need for policing technology, lawsuits New Jersey has filed or joined against the Trump administration, and state police staffing, recruitment, equipment, and pay.
State lawmakers have until June 30 to approve the budget.
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