Paul Fishman, President Barack Obama’s nominee to serve as the U.S. attorney for New Jersey, declined to name more than half of his private clients in his government ethics forms, citing privacy concerns. The Washington Times has the story. The exemption is permitted under federal ethics laws, ”but that leaves prosecutors on an honor system to police their own conflicts,” the Times notes.
Mr. Fishman provided the names of 29 clients on the government disclosure form, including a convicted former New Jersey municipal official, a health care company and the former girlfriend of New Jersey Gov. Jon Corzine. But he withheld the names of “approximately 37 confidential clients,["] saying they cannot be named because they are involved in grand jury or other secret investigations.
Fishman declined to comment. White House spokesman Ben LaBolt told the Times that Fishman would police himself, if confirmed.
“Upon confirmation, as is standard practice for U.S. attorneys who previously worked in the private sector, Mr. Fishman will implement a screening mechanism that removes himself from matters that may be pending in the U.S. Attorney’s Office involving his former clients, including confidential clients,” Mr. LaBolt said
We certainly hope so. Fishman’s public client list is chockablock with high-profile and politically sensitive cases prosecuted by the New Jersey’s office.
Both of New Jersey’s U.S. senators have endorsed Fishman’s nomination. He would replace Christopher Christie, a Bush appointee who is running for governor. (On Thursday, Christie is scheduled to testify on before a House panel about a court monitoring contract worth up to $52 million that his office awarded former Attorney General John Ashcroft.)
