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McKeon Calls for Full Public Airing of $1.5M Corruption Allegation Settlement

Says Public’s Right to Know is Paramount & Outweighs Confidentiality
Will Research Legislation Restricting Settlement Confidentiality

(TRENTON) – Assembly Judiciary Chairman John McKeon (D-Essex/Morris) released the following statement Wednesday after the state for $1.5 million settled a whistleblower lawsuit with a former Hunterdon County assistant prosecutor who claims he was fired for alleging that Gov. Chris Christie’s administration dismissed an indictment because it involved supporters of the governor:

“This settlement raises many disturbing questions.
“The public deserves a full airing of the allegations in this case, and despite whatever confidentiality agreements were signed, I call on both the state Attorney General’s Office and Mr. Barlyn to publicly disclose all the facts surrounding this case and how this settlement was reached.
“I understand they may have agreed not to talk, but the public interest outweighs everything else. The public’s right to know how their money is spent demands an open discussion, as does the public’s right to learn all the facts about Mr. Barlyn’s allegations, which were concerning to say the least.
“In the meantime, I will be researching legislative options. I will be looking to draft legislation restricting confidentiality agreements in public whistleblower lawsuit settlements. The public’s right to know how the money is spent and about potential corruption is paramount.”