Paul Fishman

After just a few hours in office, U.S. Attorney Paul Fishman had his first win: a jury convicted Akouavi Kpade Afolabi, best known as “Sister,” but also known as “Gloria Lawson,” and “Celine,”on charges that she forced more than twenty young West African women to work on her Newark and East Orange hair braiding salons.

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Paul Fishman was sworn in today as New Jersey's 54th United States Attorney just after 11AM in a private ceremony attended by his wife, two sons, his mother and his staff.  U.S. District Court Judge Joseph Greenaway, who is President Obama's nominee for the Third Circuit Court of Appeals, administered the oath of office.

"This is a tremendous honor and privilege," Fishman said in a statement. "For me, I am returning to an office I once served where I expect to build on its traditions of excellence, fairness and integrity in enforcing federal criminal and civil statutes."

Fishman replaces Ralph Marra, who has been Acting U.S. Attorney since Christopher Christie resigned last December. Read More >

There have been few clues as to Paul Fishman's plans for key posts in the U.S. Attorney's office after he takes the oath tomorrow morning.  For the time being, Acting U.S. Attorney Ralph Marra will return to his old post as First Assistant (Marra took over when Christopher Christie resigned on December 1), and Marc Larkins, who became Acting First Assistant following Michelle Brown's departure, will be the Executive Assistant U.S. Attorney.  Larkins has held both posts since Brown left last month.

Fishman is not expected to make any immediate announcements regarding key personnel, but new U.S. Attorneys typically assemble their own team.  That may or may not affect Marra, a career federal prosecutor.

Eight years ago, the appointment of a First Assistant U.S. Attorney was part of the deal to convince then-U.S. Senators Robert Torricelli and Jon Corzine, to sign off on Christie's nomination.  Torricelli and Corzine reportedly insisted that they have input on the selection of Christie's second in command.

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Paul Fishman is expected to take the oath of office as the new U.S. Attorney tomorrow morning.  U.S. District Court Judge Joseph Greenaway will administer the oath in a private ceremony attended by Fishman's family.   A public ceremonial swearing in is likely to be held at a later date.

The 53-year-old Fishman was nominated by President Barack Obama earlier this year, and won U.S. Senate confirmation last week.

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Paul Fishman will become New Jersey's next U.S. Attorney after a ten-year quest for the post.  His nomination was confirmed by the United States Senate tonight.

U.S. Senator Frank Lautenberg (D-Cliffside Park) pushed hard for Fishman to get the post in 1999, when Faith Hochberg was nominated to a federal judgeship.  But Fishman got in the middle of a rather extraordinary public feud between Lautenberg and then-U.S. Senator Robert Torricelli.  The Clinton administration sided with Torricelli, and when Hochberg resigned to take her seat on the bench (after a lengthy delay in the confirmation process), Attorney General Janet Reno elevated Torricelli's preferred choice, First Assistant U.S. Attorney Robert Cleary, as New Jersey's interim federal prosecutor.  Cleary remained in office until George W. Bush nominated Christopher Christie in 2001.

President Barack Obama must now formally sign his commission; that could happen as early as tomorrow.  Then Fishman must arrange for a federal judge to swear him in; that also could happen immediately.

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The U.S. Senate approved Paul Fishman's nomination for U.S. Attorney for New Jersey tonight.

Fishman, who was approved by unanimous consent, succeeds Chris Christie and will take over the responsibility of leading the office from Acting U.S. Attorney Ralph Marra.

Fishman is a former U.S. Attorney and senior advier to the Attorney General between 1994 and 1997, according to his law firm bio.

“New Jersey is getting a first rate U.S. Attorney who will serve our state and nation well,” said U.S. Sen. Frank Lautenberg (D-Clffside Park), who championed Fishman early in the process.  “Paul Fishman has the integrity, experience and judgment necessary to keep all New Jersey residents and communities safe and bring criminals to justice.”

Fishman issued the following statement:

“I am delighted and look forward to getting to work.  I am very grateful to Senator Lautenberg and Senator Menendez for their confidence and their support.”

 

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There is another delay in the nomination of Paul Fishman as New Jersey's next United States Attorney.  The U.S. Senate Judiciary Committee approved Fishman's nomination on September 24, along with federal prosecutor nominees from Hawaii, Nebraska and the Western District of Washington.    The next morning, Majority Leader Harry Reid put all four nominees on a list to be included in the next unanimous consent calendar vote.  On September 29, the U.S. Senate voted to confirm the other three U.S. Attorney nominees, but not Fishman.  That means at least one U.S. Senator has raised a private objection to the nomination.  Democrats might prefer that the new federal prosecutor not be the one to sign off on requests for documents from Gov. Jon Corzine's re-election campaign regarding the former U.S. Attorney, GOP gubernatorial candidate Christopher Christie.

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U.S. Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-NV) this morning put U.S. Attorney-designate Paul Fishman on a list of nominees to be included on the next unanimous consent calendar vote.  If no Senate raises an objection to Fishman, he could be confirmed by the U.S. Senate early next week.

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Paul Fishman could be sworn in as United States Attorney within a week, although delays are inevitable - especially if Democrats prefer that the new federal prosecutor not be the one to sign off on requests for documents from Gov. Jon Corzine's re-election campaign.

The U.S. Senate Judiciary Committee approved Fishman's nomination today.  Now the full Senate must vote on his confirmation, which is expected to come on the next unanimous consent calendar vote.  That could be as early as Tuesday.  After that, President Barack Obama must formally sign his commission; that could happen on the same day as the Senate vote, or a few days after that.  Then Fishman must arrange for a federal judge to swear him in; that also could happen immediately.

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Paul Fishman’s nomination to be the next U.S. Attorney just passed committee, the Star-Ledger reports.  

The nomination will move on to the full Senate for a confirmation vote.

Fishman’s nomination was supposed to be considered by the Judiciary Committee last week, but it was held up at the request of the committee’s ranking Republican member, Sen. Jeff Sessions (R-Ala.).  

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