Herb Stern wows the Journal (on Jersey's dime)

Herb Stern was the recipient of a wet kiss from the Wall Street Journal's new Saturday edition. In "Top Gun Lawyer Keeps Big Presence With Small Firm" (reg. req.) Stern is lauded for landing star clients like NJ bums Joe Nacchio and Milberg Weiss attorney Steven Schulman, who is accused of paying kickbacks to a plaintiff who was basically a professional suer of publicly traded companies.
No mention is made of Stern's representation of Murray Kushner, but most of Stern's recent doings will not be news to the many devoted readers of New Jersey Justice. Neither will the Journal's repeating of the criticism that's been hung on Stern for the outrageousness of his UMDNJ fees. The paper notes that "The monitor had, to date, billed the state $5.8 million. That figure tops the $4.9 million lost by the state due to the alleged fraud."
The value of investigating a crime should not necessarily be determined by the dollar value of the transgression. But what's interesting here is the defensiveness evident in Chris Christie's response.

The U.S. attorney for New Jersey, Christopher Christie, points out that Mr. Stern's law firm had billed only about $1.3 million; other portions of the bill were attributed to accountants and others. Also, Mr. Christie says, the monitor's work had revealed additional wrongdoing and waste. Mr. Stern's work "has been a great return on the state's money."

But here's another point that no one seems to have addressed. Who the hell is Chris Christie -- a federal appointee -- to determine what's a good value for the state of New Jersey? The people footing the bill for Christie's mentor are the taxpayers of New Jersey.
If crimes were committed by the administration of the UMDNJ, then those who are responsible should be prosecuted, by local prosecutors, the state Attorney General or the US Attorney. But to have the state pay the freight for a federal arrangement is ridiculous -- especially when the state pays at the sole discretion of a former US Attorney appointed by his close friend, the current US Attorney. It's exactly the same as if as if Zulima Farber gave her unlicensed boyfriend the freedom to hire whatever legal defense he deemed necessary -- and ordered that the bill be sent to the town of Fairview.

Comments

New AG looks into a "clear case of patronage"!!! How the hell do you think Rabner got HIS job? By being close friends to Corzine!

Something tells me that if a Dem installed Stern into UMDNJ, this would be exactly the thing that Christie would publicly go after. I hope the new AG looks into this clear case of patronage