Beck and O’Toole Want AG to Testify on McGreevey Emails

Senators Jennifer Beck (R-12) and Kevin O’Toole (R-40) were disappointed to learn that Attorney General Anne Milgram will not testify at the next Senate State Government Committee. The Senators requested that the Attorney General testify in person about her investigation into the possible illegal removal of computerized documents and emails during the McGreevey administration.

"Thousands of emails sent and received by members of the the scandal-plagued McGreevey administration have been destroyed, stated Beck. "A thorough explanation is needed as to why these documents were deleted and who authorized their removal."

Last year it was reported that thousands of pages of McGreevey's official papers were never sent to the State Archives, as required by law. The e-mail deletions are disclosed in a letter the state Attorney General's Office wrote in response to a lawsuit against former members of the McGreevey administration.

"This very well may be an indictable offense," continued O’Toole. "The law stipulates that electronic records must be reviewed and archived by authorized staffers. Erasing this information is against the law and the fact that no one has been held responsible for allowing this to occur is alarming."

The motion to have the Attorney General testify during the next committee meeting was tabled 3-2 along party lines. Senator Nicholas Scutari, chair of the committee, said he will "look into the issue." As a result Senators O’Toole and Beck sent a letter to Attorney General Milgram requesting that she volunteer to testify before the committee.

*letter below

March 10, 2008

Honorable Anne Milgram

Attorney General

Department of Law and Public Safety

P.O. Box 080

Trenton, NJ 08625-080

Dear Attorney General Milgram:

It was recently reported that thousands of emails sent and received by the McGreevey administration were automatically deleted from state computers, despite regulations that electronic records be reviewed and archived by authorized staffers. It was also reported that your office issued a written response regarding these deleted documents to individuals who filed a lawsuit against former members of the McGreevey administration.

With that being said, we respectfully request that you volunteer to testify during the next Senate State Government Committee meeting. A thorough explanation is needed as to why these documents were deleted and who authorized their removal.

We are confident that you will agree that this matter is of the utmost importance and we look forward to speaking to you on this in the near future.

Sincerely,

Kevin O’Toole

Senator District 40

Jennifer Beck

Senator District 12

Cc: Senator Nicholas Scutari

Senator Loretta Weinberg

Senator Jim Whelan