Today, a coalition of 70 civic leaders from New Jersey, including members from good government organizations, labor unions, and grassroots activist groups, urged Governor Murphy and state lawmakers to dismiss politically driven attacks against Attorney General Matthew Platkin.
The group issued an open letter condemning recent efforts aimed at undermining the Attorney General's office as harmful to the rule of law. The letter compared these tactics to those employed by the Trump administration in attempts to hinder investigations involving himself and his allies.
"Recent attempts to undermine the Office of the Attorney General represent a dangerous assault on the principle that no one — regardless of political power or connections — should be above the law. They are a page straight out of the Trump playbook, where if you don't like what a prosecutor is investigating, you try to remove them from office," stated the letter.
The letter pointed out that these attacks appear as retaliatory measures against Platkin for holding powerful figures accountable, referencing actions taken against Elon Musk and others connected with George Norcross.
Antoinette Miles from the New Jersey Working Families Party criticized Republican Assembly leaders: "Republican leaders in the Assembly have never cared about power brokers using Camden as currency, the people of Paterson being terrorized by police, or survivors of sexual assault. Now, they’re shamelessly exploiting these issues to score cheap political points and undermine efforts to hold powerful people accountable."
Amol Sinha from ACLU-NJ emphasized concerns over potential impeachment proceedings: "The people of New Jersey rely on the independence of the Office of the Attorney General to ensure that no one – regardless of political power – is above the law. Attempts to impeach AG Platkin for exercising his authority as the state's chief law enforcement officer set a dangerous precedent and will only further politicize the Office and foster increased distrust of our institutions."
Todd Wolfson from Rutgers AAUP-AFT expressed strong opposition: "No one should be retaliated against for standing up to a boss, whether it’s a corporate executive or political power broker. Any effort to punish the Attorney General for doing his job is a direct attack on the rule of law and a warning to anyone who dares to challenge the status quo. We won’t stand for it."
Amy Higer from SOMA Action stated her support for Platkin's work: "The people of New Jersey are tired of backroom deals that benefit political insiders at our expense. The Attorney General’s willingness to challenge corruption should be applauded, not punished. Interfering with the Attorney General’s work sends a troubling message that if you have enough influence, rules don’t apply to you."
Dena Mottola Jaborska from New Jersey Citizen Action highlighted her concern over motivations behind these attacks: "These attacks on the Attorney General aren't about justice. They’re about insulating political insiders and special interests from scrutiny."
Hetty Rosenstein from The New Jersey Resistance reflected on past experiences: "I've been around New Jersey politics for more than 40 years. We have never had an Attorney General who has exhibited greater courage and integrity than Matt Platkin. We have also never had anyone try to impeach an Attorney General before. I think those things are related."
The full text of this open letter is available online.
