NJ’s fraud watchdog quits after AP Press exposes double dipping

Tiffany Williams Brewer

The embattled head of the New Jersey agency created to investigate waste, fraud and government abuse resigned after just days on the job following an Asbury Park Press report detailing her dual residency and second full-time, out-of-state job.

New Jersey State Commission of Investigation CEO Tiffany Williams Brewer, 51, submitted her resignation Friday morning, five days after the commission announced her appointment to lead the watchdog agency.

“While I remain dedicated to public service, the recent events, including the revelation of employee-driven mischaracterizations of my actions to the media, have created a toxic climate that dissuades me from continuing in this role,” Williams Brewer said. “I am disappointed that this environment, which undermines the integrity of the SCI, has necessitated my resignation.”

Williams Brewer was named to the new post on Monday after working as the SCI’s interim executive director for six months after the death of the commission’s former director, Chadd Lackey, who was killed in a car accident. 

On Thursday, the Asbury Park Press reported that Williams Brewer purchased a 2,400-square-foot house in Upper Marlboro, Maryland, and declared it her principal residence, according to property records from Prince George’s County. She also signed an owner occupancy affidavit stating she would live there for seven of the next 12 months. 

Read the full story here


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New evacuations ordered as Palisades Fire moves toward Brentwood

Photo by Loren Elliott for the New York Times

From The Washington Post

The Palisades Fire, the largest of six active blazes in the Los Angeles region, shifted east on Friday night and triggered a new evacuation order that included much of the Brentwood neighborhood and parts of Encino. The new flare-up was a “significant development,” said L.A. County spokesman Jesus Ruiz, with the fire rapidly growing and moving in the direction of “a heavily populated area … we’re definitely concerned.”

The fires have killed at least 11 people and burned more than 37,000 acres — an area bigger than San Francisco — according to Cal Fire, with flames claiming more than 12,000 structures and displacing tens of thousands. The Palisades Fire is the largest at more than 21,000 acres, while the Eaton Fire has burned more than 14,000 acres. Those blazes are 8 percent and 3 percent contained, respectively.

Key updates:

The latest on the active Los Angeles wildfires

By Vivian Ho and Jintak Han, Washington Post

Here’s what to know about the six active fires in Los Angeles as of 3:00 a.m. local time. Spread and containment figures are from Cal Fire.

  • Palisades Fire (8 percent contained):The blaze has burned through more than 21,000 acres in and around Pacific Palisades and killed at least fivepeople. Los Angeles Fire Department Chief Kristin Crowley said the fire has destroyed more than 5,300 structures since Tuesday. The fire is now spreading toward Brentwood, where the Getty Center is located.
  • Eaton Fire (3 percent contained): On the city’s east side, near Pasadena, the fire has killed at least six people and burned through 14,117acres. More than 7,000 structures have been damaged or destroyed by this fire, officials said.
  • Kenneth Fire (50 percent contained): The fire in the Calabasas and Hidden Hills areas was first reported Thursday afternoon and has spread to 1,052 acres. A person was taken into custody Thursday afternoon on suspicion of arson in connection with the fire, but there was not enough evidence to charge them with a crime, Los Angeles Police Department Assistant Chief Dominic Choi said Friday.
  • Lidia Fire (98 percent contained):Firefighters have contained most of the fire since it emerged inAntelope Valley on Wednesday afternoon. According to Cal Fire, it has burned through 395 acres.
  • Hurst Fire (70 percent contained):In the north, near San Fernando, the fire has covered 771 acres.
  • Archer Fire (zero percent contained):The blaze broke out Friday morning in the Granada Hills area, northwest of downtown Los Angeles, during what officials described as “erratic winds.” It has burned about 19 acres so far.

For more detailed maps of how each fire is spreading, check here.


If you like this post, you’ll love our daily environmental newsletter, EnviroPolitics. It’s packed daily with the latest news, commentary, and legislative updates from New Jersey, Pennsylvania, New York, Delaware…and beyond. Please do not take our word for it, try it free for a full month.

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Make Martin Luther King Day a day on not a day off

Martin Luther King Jr. Day commemorates the civil rights leader’s life and legacy and is the only federal holiday designated as a National Day of Service to encourage all Americans to volunteer to improve their communities. 

On Monday, January 20, Natural Lands will host 11 events to engage volunteers in an MLK Day of Service. Join us to nurture trees, remove invasive plants, take care of trails, and more. Projects vary, but good fun (and dirt) is guaranteed. Beginners welcome! 

Volunteer—MLK Day for Nature 
All events held 9:00-11:30 AM unless marked otherwise. 

Binky Lee Preserve | Chester Springs, PA

Bryn Coed Preserve | Chester Springs, PA

ChesLen Preserve | Coatesville, PA

Crow’s Nest Preserve | Elverson, PA

Gwynedd Preserve | North Wales, PA

Hildacy Preserve | Media, PA

Peacedale Preserve | Landenburg, PA
10:00am-12:30pm 

Stoneleigh: a natural garden| Villanova, PA
9:00-11:30 AM or 1:00-3:30 PM

Stroud Preserve | West Chester, PA

Willisbrook Preserve | Malvern, PA


Let EnviroPolitics promote your upcoming event.
Send details to editor@enviropolitics.com
Include a phone number in case we have questions.

EnviroPolitics Events Calendar Read More »

EnviroPolitics Events Calendar



2025 Membership Breakfast Series
January General Membership Breakfast: Meet the SJTA

Join us on Wednesday, January 22, 2025, at Forsgate Country Club to hear valuable insight on upcoming projects from the SJTA for 2025

Panelists include:
Stephen Doughtery – Executive Director
Tim Kroll – Airport Director
Dan Corrigan – Acting Chief Engineer / Acting Director of Engineering

More information or to register:


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NJ mayor pleads to misconduct, leaves post 9 days after swearing-in

Clark Mayor Sal Bonaccorso appears before Judge Lisa Walsh in the Union County Courthouse where he pled guilty to conspiracy to commit official misconduct and forgery, in Elizabeth, NJ on Friday, January 10, 2025. Ed Murray| For NJ Advance Media

By Riley Yates | NJ Advance Media for NJ.com

Clark Mayor Sal Bonaccorso admitted Friday to criminal charges and agreed to forfeit his office under a plea bargain just days after he was sworn in for another term.

Bonaccorso pleaded guilty to using township resources to benefit his private landscaping business and to forging signatures on permit applications for work his company performed. He did so under an agreement calling for him to receive three years of probation when Superior Court Judge Lisa Miralles Walsh sentences him on Feb. 7 for conspiracy to commit official misconduct and forgery.

Bonaccorso, a Republican, has been the face of Clark for a quarter century, the longest-serving mayor in the GOP stronghold’s history. In November, he easily won a seventh term despite the public corruption charges and a racism scandal in which he was caught using the n-word and crassly disparaging women in law enforcement.

His guilty plea requires him to forfeit that office, a provision that took effect immediately. He is also barred from holding public office or employment in the future.

Bonaccorso entered his plea at the Union County Courthouse in Elizabeth. Immediately following the hearing, his defense attorney, Robert Stahl, released a statement saying Bonaccorso’s decision came after he recently learned he was diagnosed with an aortic aneurysm that will require surgery.

“After a long and difficult period of reflection and discussion with his family and friends, Mayor Bonaccorso decided that the best course forward for his health, his family and the town he so dearly loves and has devoted more than two decades to, was to resolve this matter by way of a plea,” the statement said.

Read the full story here

If you like this post, you’ll love our daily environmental newsletter, EnviroPolitics. It’s packed daily with the latest news, commentary, and legislative updates from New Jersey, Pennsylvania, New York, Delaware…and beyond. Please do not take our word for it, try it free for a full month.

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RSVP now

We are thrilled to invite all youth ages 9 and up (and their adults) to join us for a fun-filled and educational event: Building For The Birds! This hands-on activity is designed to spark creativity, foster a love for nature, and provide valuable insights into the world of our feathered friends.


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