The Ridgewood Blog Brings a Free Market Laissez-faire Point of View to Local, New Jersey State and National Issues.
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Washington D.C., the Securities and Exchange Commission today announced that Gurbir S. Grewal has been appointed Director of the Division of Enforcement, effective July 26, 2021. Grewal currently serves as Attorney General for the State of New Jersey, a role he has held since January 2018, when he was confirmed by the New Jersey State Senate after being nominated by Governor Phil Murphy.
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Trenton NJ, New Jersey Attorney General Gurbir S. Grewal today joined with 47 other Attorneys General in suing Facebook, Inc. for allegedly violating federal antitrust laws by monopolizing the market for personal social networking services, and by using illegal mergers and other anti-competitive tactics to maintain its monopoly power.
Continue reading NJ Attorney General Announces Federal Antitrust Lawsuit Against Facebook
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Ridgewood NJ, U.S. Attorney Craig Carpenito, New Jersey Attorney General Gurbir S. Grewal, and New Jersey Acting State Comptroller Kevin D. Walsh today announced the formation of a joint federal-state task force to investigate and prosecute a wide range of misconduct arising from the COVID-19 pandemic, including the unlawful hoarding of medical supplies, price gouging, charity scams, procurement fraud, insurance fraud, phishing schemes, and false and misleading investment opportunities.
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Glen Rock NJ, A group of 50 attorneys general from 48 states, the District of Columbia and Puerto Rico unveiled a major antitrust investigation of Google Monday, sharply escalating the regulatory scrutiny facing the tech giant.The probe will focus on whether Google (GOOG) has harmed competition and consumers, looking at least initially into the company’s conduct in its search, advertising and other businesses, though it may expand from there.
Today it was announced that a bipartisan group of attorneys general, including New Jersey, have opened a multi-state investigation into allegations of anti-competitive conduct by Google in the market for internet advertising.
Continue reading Multi-state Anti-Trust Investigation Launched on Google
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River Vale NJ, Assemblywoman Holly Schepisi said today she plans to introduce legislation banning public officials convicted of corruption from holding jobs with state and local governments.
“I believe in second chances, but not when it comes to putting corrupt politicians in positions of public trust,” said Schepisi. “This is a case about public bribery.”
Reports yesterday uncovered that the Murphy administration hired a former Passaic City councilman who served time in prison for taking bribes from undercover FBI agents. Marcellus Jackson was hired to work in the Department of Education with an annual salary of $70,000 over the summer.
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Rutherford NJ, Acting Bergen County Prosecutor Dennis Calo announces the second in a series of quarterly Community Conversations to be held in Bergen County. Members of the community are invited to attend a town hall meeting titled “Athletes, Injuries, and Pain: A Discussion of Alternatives to Opioids” on Thursday, September 6, 2018 at Rutherford High School.
January 27,2018
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Trenton NJ, New Jersey Attorney General Gurbir S. Grewal has sent a letter to the U.S. Secretary of Homeland Security suggesting Thursday’s arrest by federal agents of two Indonesian nationals as they dropped off their children may have violated a longstanding prohibition on immigration enforcement actions at “sensitive locations,” and calling for the official to personally review the incident.
The letter, addressed to U.S. Secretary of Homeland Security Kirstjen M. Nielsen and sent Thursday afternoon, expresses “serious concern” about the arrest of Indonesian nationals Gunawan Liem of Franklin Park and Roby Sanger of Metuchen by agents of Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) in Middlesex County. Liem reportedly was arrested after dropping his daughter off at her school bus stop. Sanger was arrested after dropping off his daughter at school.
In his letter, Attorney General Grewal notes that ICE has a “longstanding policy that prohibits immigration enforcement actions ‘at or focused on sensitive locations,’” and that schools are deemed to be sensitive locations under that policy. Grewal characterized ICE’s action as “deeply upsetting.”
“I am not aware of any exigent or unique circumstances here that would justify such a departure from ICE’s settled policy on sensitive locations,” Grewal’s letter states. “Undoubtedly, this creates a chilling environment for parents, who were simply ensuring that their children arrived to school safely. I trust that you will personally evaluate the circumstances surrounding this enforcement action and take any and all appropriate measures to remedy any violation of ICE policy.”
The letter goes on to express broader concern about ensuring there are no ICE enforcement actions at courthouses and at State facilities throughout New Jersey.
Enforcement actions at state courthouses would compromise the integrity of New Jersey’s justice system, the Attorney General notes, and such actions at State facilities would be an “undue intrusion” on the function of state government services to New Jersey residents, including children, families and military veterans.
“As a former federal prosecutor, county prosecutor, and now the chief law enforcement officer for New Jersey, I fully understand the need to enforce our nation’s laws,” Grewal writes, “but I am equally committed to ensuring that all of the residents of New Jersey have a safe environment to attend to their lives, whether it be to attend school, participate in our judicial system, or access state government services.”
