Lawmaker wants documents on a different Christie scandal

TRENTON — A Democratic lawmaker wants the state attorney general to release documents from a $1.5 million whistleblower lawsuit related to the potential prosecution of supporters of Gov. Chris Christie.

Assemblyman Jack McKeon wrote to state Attorney General Christopher Porrino on Monday.

Former assistant Hunterdon County prosecutor Ben Barlyn claimed he was fired in 2010 for saying an indictment was dismissed for political reasons related to Christie. Christie has denied any involvement.

McKeon noted the state spent more than $3 million in legal fees and says the public should be able to decide whether Barlyn's claims were legitimate.

The Assembly last week unanimously approved legislation to bar public entities and public employees from entering into confidential whistleblower settlements.

A spokesman said the attorney general's office has received the letter, but didn't comment.

Barlyn was suspended, then fired in the fall of 2010, not long after the attorney general’s office took over Hunterdon County’s case against then-Sheriff Deborah Trout and two subordinates, who had been indicted on 43 criminal counts including official misconduct and falsification of employment records.

The state asked the judge to dismiss the indictment because it deemed it legally deficient — a step almost never taken by prosecutors once a grand jury has spoken, Barlyn contended. No attempt was made by the state to correct any deficiencies and resubmit the case to a grand jury, he said.

Robert Hariri, an executive for biotech company Celgene and a member of Christie’s transition team in 2010, was interviewed in connection with the case but wasn’t charged. Hariri and his wife had donated thousands of dollars to Christie’s campaign, according to campaign finance records. Barlyn’s suit contended Hariri had been given a fake law enforcement ID by defendant Michael Russo, then Hunterdon County’s undersheriff.

Trout and Russo were active supporters of Christie’s 2009 gubernatorial campaign, and Russo told a reporter Christie would “have this whole thing thrown out,” Barlyn’s lawsuit claimed.

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