Politics & Government

High Turnover Rate Could Cause Disruption in NJ Attorney General's Office

Gov. Chris Christie nominated Chief of Staff Kevin O'Dowd to become the newest Attorney General on Monday.

All the recent turnover in the Attorney General’s Office could disrupt the office's ability to carry out its duties in the State of New Jersey, law enforcement officials state in a report posted on nj.com.

Gov. Chris Christie nominated Kevin O’Dowd, his current Chief of Staff, to be the state’s next attorney general on Monday, replacing current Acting Attorney General John J. Hoffman. Hoffman was appointed over the summer to replace Jeffrey S. Chiesa, who was appointed to the U.S. Senate following the death of Frank Lautenberg and prior to October’s Special Election.

O’Dowd needs the approval of the State Senate before assuming the office. Should that happen, he will become the eighth attorney general in 10 years, according to the report.

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Law enforcement experts from Rutgers University and John Jay College of Criminal Justice tell nj.com the high turnover rate can disrupt an office designed to fight crime and oversee multiple police agencies, including the State Police.

Former attorneys general downplayed the impact a change in leadership can have, stating that most of the personnel remains the same, according to nj.com. They did admit the job can be demanding and the private sector offers more money.

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A spokesman for the governor told nj.com the concerns sound like “criticism for the sake of criticism.”

Should he be confirmed, O’Dowd would become the fourth attorney general under the Christie Administration, according to the report.

O’Dowd is currently Christie’s Chief of Staff, a position he has held since January of last year. From 2010-12, he was Christie’s Deputy Chief Counsel. He previously served in the U.S. Attorney’s Office for seven years, beginning in 2003.


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