Bergen Prosecutor Grewal to Be Next Attorney General, Murphy Says

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Gurbir Grewal[/caption] Gov.-elect Phil Murphy on Tuesday announced his intention to nominate Bergen County Prosecutor Gurbir Grewal to be the state's next attorney general. Grewal, who has headed the Bergen County Prosecutor's Office for nearly two years and was an assistant U.S. attorney in New Jersey before that, would be the state's first Sikh-American attorney general, according to Murphy. Grewal was "honored" at the prospective nomination, he said in a statement accompanying a release from Murphy's transition team. “All my life, I’ve shared Governor-elect Murphy’s goal of building a fairer New Jersey," Grewal said. "To me, that means protecting the rights of every resident under the law, and defending the values of our diverse communities. I look forward to helping Governor-elect Murphy make his vision for New Jersey a reality.” Murphy added: “Whether it be addressing our opioid epidemic head-on with compassion and persistence, fighting to protect New Jerseyans’ health care against the constant threats from Washington, standing up for DREAMers and our LGBT community, or defending New Jersey’s common-sense gun laws, there will be no more critical post in my administration than Attorney General. For these reasons and many more, I am incredibly proud to announce my nomination of Gurbir Grewal as Attorney General.” After Murphy's announcement Tuesday, numerous officials voiced their support for Grewal's nomination, including the one he would replace. Current Attorney General Christopher Porrino, reached by phone, said he and Grewal are friends, and vowed to assist with Grewal's transition. "He's smart. He's tough when he needs to be. I think he'll be very, very successful as AG," Porrino said. "I've effectively cleared my schedule such that that transition is my No. 1 priority." Porrino also offered Grewal some advice: "It's the greatest job any lawyer will ever have. He should take a few moments along the way to recognize that. "There's so much you can do. ... The scope of the job is so vast," added Porrino, who said he plans to remain in office until Murphy's swearing-in next month. Upon his January 2016 swearing-in as acting prosecutor, Grewal was the state’s the first Sikh and first South Asian county prosecutor. Grewal's nomination was confirmed in November 2016. He replaced longtime Bergen County Prosecutor John Molinelli, who said he was asked to retire in late 2015 by Gov. Chris Christie, and subsequently went to Price, Meese, Shulman & D’Arminio in Woodcliff Lake. At the U.S. Attorney's Office for the District of New Jersey beginning in 2010, Grewal worked in the Criminal Division, and headed the Economic Crimes Unit from 2014 to 2016. Story to be updated later today.