Posted on

Governor Phil Murphy Removes Gateway Commissioner Who Asked Too Many Questions

external content.duckduckgo 22

the staff of the Ridgewood blog

TRENTON, NJ — in a significant leadership change on the Gateway Development Commission, Governor Phil Murphy has replaced Janine Bauer, a long-serving member and transportation attorney, with Victor Herlinsky Jr., an attorney and political insider with experience in regional governance.

The commission oversees the massive $16 billion Gateway Tunnel Project, a critical infrastructure effort to repair and expand the rail tunnels under the Hudson River, which are essential to Northeast Corridor transportation.

🚉 Bauer Out, Herlinsky In

Janine Bauer, who joined the board in 2020, was not reappointed after her term expired in December 2023, although she had continued to serve as is customary until a replacement was named. Bauer, a transportation and environmental law expert, reportedly raised concerns and asked questions about the commission’s operations, echoing similar patterns from other board removals made by Murphy.

Murphy’s office did not comment on the replacement. The move follows a trend: James D. Adams was also removed from the NJ Transit board after critically analyzing decisions and voting against items he found problematic.

🏗️ Who Is Victor Herlinsky Jr.?

Victor Herlinsky Jr., appointed to replace Bauer, testified before the New Jersey Senate Judiciary Committee on June 26. A partner at Sills Cummis & Gross, Herlinsky specializes in land use, redevelopment law, and commercial litigation, and has deep political ties:

  • Served on transition teams for Sen. Cory Booker, NYC Mayor Eric Adams, and former Gov. Jon Corzine

  • Appointed in 2021 to the New Jersey State Ethics Commission

  • Previously advocated for leniency during the sentencing of former Sen. Bob Menendez, citing Menendez’s work on Ukraine and social justice causes

Herlinsky is the son of two Ukrainian WWII refugees and spoke to the committee about the importance of completing the Gateway Project:

“This project must be completed in an efficient and economical manner by the 2035 deadline, or risk doing serious damage to our local economy — and more importantly — to the lifestyles of New Jersey residents.”

✅ Unanimous Committee Support

The Senate Judiciary Committee unanimously approved Herlinsky’s nomination without questioning, and a full Senate vote is expected on June 30.

Stephen Sigmund, Gateway Commission spokesperson, said:

“We’re grateful for the Judiciary Committee’s unanimous approval of Mr. Herlinsky and look forward to a full Senate vote.”

🌉 About the Gateway Development Commission

The Gateway Development Commission consists of three appointees each from New Jersey and New York, plus the Amtrak chair. The commission oversees the largest federally funded infrastructure initiative in the U.S., including:

  • Repairing and replacing the Hudson River rail tunnels

  • Managing complex construction and contractor oversight

  • Supporting the future expansion of New York Penn Station connectivity and efficiency

Tell your story #TheRidgewoodblog , #Indpendentnews, #information, #advertise, #guestpost, #affiliatemarketing,#NorthJersey, #NJ , #News, #localnews, #bergencounty, #sponsoredpost, #SponsoredContent, #contentplacement , #linkplacement, Email: Onlyonesmallvoice@gmail.com

2 thoughts on “Governor Phil Murphy Removes Gateway Commissioner Who Asked Too Many Questions

  1. Should someone who supports one of New Jersey’s most corrupt politicians sit on the state’s ethics commission?

    That’s the question I’m asking myself after seeing that Victor Herlinsky, an attorney and one of the six commissioners on the State Ethics Commission, wrote a letter to a federal judge seeking leniency for ex-Sen. Bob Menendez, who was found guilty by a jury in July of taking bribes and acting as a foreign agent.

    2
    1
  2. Phil Murphy is a loser just like Mitt Romney, James Comey, and Chris Christie.

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *