Posted on Tue, Feb. 9, 2010
TRENTON - The Senate Judiciary Committee yesterday approved the first two of Gov. Christie's cabinet nominees to come for interviews.
Moving on for a full Senate confirmation vote are Essex County Prosecutor Paula Dow, in line to become attorney general, and Maj. Gen. Glenn Rieth, a holdover from the Corzine administration, to serve as head of the Military and Veterans Affairs Department and the state's adjutant general.
The committee spent about five hours interviewing Dow, with senators delving into diverse questions about specific areas of the law. The panel voted unanimously for her.
The attorney general controls a budget of about $1.1 billion and just under 9,000 employees. The office oversees state police and highway patrols and monitors consumer affairs, gambling in Atlantic City, and racing and liquor licenses. It prosecutes major crimes, including corruption, gang activity and racketeering, and serves as the state's legal counsel.
Dow, a Democrat, served in the U.S. Attorney's Office from 1994 to 2003, overlapping with Christie for about a year and a half. Christie promoted her to counsel and supported her for the Essex County job.
In her opening statement, Dow said she would "pledge to protect residents of New Jersey, to ensure the highest caliber of legal representation for state agencies, carry out every element of the Department of Law and Public Safety mission with efficiency and, most importantly, with excellence."
"I like being a prosecutor," Dow said. "I'm just going to tell you that . . . I think I can make a difference. I like to think that I have the ability to take the efforts of people that are a lot smarter than me and get a good result."
Sen. Nia Gill (D., Essex) grilled Dow about her involvement in the case of Dana Rone, a Newark councilwoman who in December 2006 intervened in a traffic violation by her nephew.
As a result of her intervention, Rone was banned from public office for life. Dow later determined that Rone should not have been banned, but the decision was not reversed. Gov. Jon S. Corzine later lifted the ban but said Rone could not re-enter public office until Jan. 1, 2014.
Dow said she did not speak either with Corzine or Newark Mayor Cory Booker regarding the case.
Committee members also brought up raising pay for deputy attorneys general, which Dow has said she believes is too low; state guidelines on the use of stun guns, which Dow said she intends to continue to study; and expanding judicial discretion in determining who should be eligible for drug court, which Dow favors.
A resident of Maplewood, Dow, a single mother, said she would take a pay cut from $165,000 to $141,000 to become attorney general.
Rieth's interview was uneventful, with senators from both parties praising his abilities and dedication. He also received unanimous approval.
Contact staff writer Adrienne Lu at 609-989-8990 or alu@phillynews.com.
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