CJ Griffin Quoted in Two Editorials in The Star-Ledger
CJ Griffin, partner and director of the Justice Gary S. Stein Public Interest Center at Pashman Stein Walder Hayden P.C., was recently quoted in two Star-Ledger editorials, titled “Friendly Fire: Trump Indictment 3 and the Oliver Legacy” and “Your Secretive Government Keeps Breaking the Law”.
In the article “Friendly Fire: Trump Indictment 3 and the Oliver Legacy”, Griffin is quoted regarding the ongoing frustrations with the government refusing to disclose information to the public. The editorial pulls a tweet directly from Griffin’s Twitter page.
“This shows why we need fee shifting in OPRA. Agencies flat out ignore laws that require them to write reports or produce data. They’d do the same with public records if there wasn’t a fee shift, which allows us to enforce the law. (They already blatantly ignore the deadlines!)” writes Griffin.
In “Your Secretive Government Keeps Breaking the Law”, Griffin discusses the lack of government transparency within New Jersey.
“People should be alarmed by how much more secretive the state is growing, even within the past year. Politicians may think that transparency isn’t on the minds of voters, but they are wrong. When government becomes more secretive, people become more suspicious,” said Griffin, who went on to point out the hypocrisy in the government’s unwillingness to comply with the laws.
“Agencies violate clearly written laws, as if what the Legislature has instructed them to do is optional. The public does not have that luxury. We have to follow the law or face consequences, some of which are enforced or prosecuted by the very agencies ignoring these reporting requirements,” said Griffin.
To read “Friendly Fire: Trump Indictment 3 and the Oliver Legacy”, click here.
To read “Your Secretive Government Keeps Breaking the Law”, click here.
