New AG has been warmly welcomed by the social-justice community and other reform contingents and former colleagues, but the shadow of a bungled sexual assault case lingers
By TAYLOR JUNG NJ Spotlight
When Gov. Phil Murphy formally introduced former Chief Counsel Matt Platkin as his next pick for attorney general Thursday, he stressed twice that Platkin would be the “people’s lawyer” — not the governor’s lawyer.
Those not knowing Murphy and Platkin’s history might think this phrasing was just the governor’s way of defining the attorney general’s role for New Jerseyans. But it also could be seen as a way to put some distance between the two, given their amicable yet complicated ties.
Platkin has been working with Murphy since 2016 when he joined Murphy’s nonprofit and then his gubernatorial campaign. He would eventually become Murphy’s chief counsel in the administration, until he left his post in September 2020 to join a North Jersey law firm. He played an important role, helping craft important legal actions for Murphy, like his executive orders during the height of the COVID-19 pandemic.
As Platkin steps into his new role, questions remain over how closely he will hew to the path of his predecessor Gurbir Grewal. Grewal left behind a prolific legacy in June 2021, setting new guidelines and tracking police use of force, establishing guidance on marijuana decriminalization, and tackling gun reform.
Looming over Platkin’s nomination, however, is his involvement in a Murphy campaign scandal, when former campaign aide Katie Brennan accused colleague Al Alvarez of sexual assault in 2017. Platkin testified to lawmakers in 2019 that he thought he couldn’t report the issue to Murphy because of confidentiality guidelines. A 2019 report from the New Jersey Select Oversight Committee, a legislative panel that investigated the Murphy administration’s later hiring of Alvarez, found that the administration “seriously mishandled” Brennan’s claim, saying that Platkin also misunderstood a recommendation from the attorney general’s office to investigate.
Can Platkin move on?
Platkin has received a warm welcome from what seems to be a large swath of the New Jersey political world. But the biggest questions remain to be answered: Will Platkin make strides as an attorney general — just as he has been able to work with Murphy on key policies — and will he be able to move away from his handling of sexual assault allegations?
