Christie Administration Under New Federal Investigation

Federal authorities are investigating a former assistant prosecutor’s claim that he was fired because he objected to the alleged practice of dismissing indictments brought against New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie’s political allies.

The man at the center of the investigation is Bennett Barlyn, a former assistant prosecutor in the state’s Hunterdon County. ABC reports:

Barlyn was dismissed from the Hunterdon County Prosecutor’s Office in September 2010 and later brought a whistleblower case against the Christie administration that currently is in the discovery phase. He has consistently said he was fired for objecting to the quashing of indictments against the county’s sheriff and two subordinates — all political supporters of Christie’s.

… State officials have repeatedly denied Barlyn’s accusations and, in court filings, they said that the decision to dismiss the indictment was within the discretion of New Jersey’s top law-enforcement officials. They have argued Barlyn has no case and doesn’t even have the right to sue under state law.

… In a February 2014 interview, Barlyn outlined some of his grievances. He told ABC News’ Jim Avila that all the evidence his former office obtained during its “two-year investigation was suddenly shipped back to [the state capital] Trenton. … physically taken out of our office and taken to the attorney general’s office.”

He called it “highly unusual,” adding, “The head of our special investigations unit who was heading the investigation was very abruptly taken off the case two weeks before the dismissal.”