New Jersey Republican Attorney General Jeffrey Chiesa, 48, has been appointed the state’s interim senator, replacing the recently deceased Frank Lautenberg.
Here’s what you need to know…
1. Chiesa was announced as the replacement senator by Gov. Chris Christie at a press conference today
After the death of Frank Lautenberg, Governor Christie needed to find an Attorney General in the meantime of the special elections to be held in October, as he announced earlier this week. Chiesa was appointed by Christie and will serve until October but has no plans on running for the office in October, says New York Times. Christie explains that “There’s very few people in my life I know better than Jeff.”
2. He previously worked at the same law-firm as Governor Chris Christie in the 1980s
Christie and Chiesa first met when Christie interview Cheisa for a clerks position at the firm Dughi & Hewit. Chiesa would spend nine years in the U.S. attorney’s office before leaving for a short stint as a partner at Wolff & Samson. He then worked on Christie’s transition team, according to Business Week.
3. He was the brains behind New Jersey’s “Operation Swill,” where law-enforcement discovered restaurants and bars in the state where filling expensive liquor bottles with cheaper brands
According to The Atlantic Wire, 29 bars and restaurants were accused and investigated for filling in bottles of expensive liquor with cheaper brands. At least 13 TGI Fridays and Applebees were foundto be guilty of even replacing the liquor with rubbing alcohol and adding food coloring to have it appear as scotch. Jeff Chiesa’s reaction to this was: “I wouldn’t drink rubbing alcohol in my house. It serves a very specific purpose: to rub.”
4. He had a working class upbringing in Bound Brook, New Jersey
Chiesa grew up with two younger sisters in a working class family. Father worked at a chemical plant but when he died when Chiesa was eight years old, the family’s burdens were left atop the mother, a public school teacher. He graduated from Notre Dame University in 1987 and then went to law school at Catholic University of America where he graduated in 1990 as per nj.com.
5. There has been a mixed reaction from tweeting-talking heads:
Jeff Chiesa, one-time @GovChristie law partner, current AG & new interim NJ Senator, won't run in primary or general election
— David W. Chen (@davidwchen) June 6, 2013
NJ's newest US Senator, Jeff Chiesa pic.twitter.com/PseSqNYogP
— Luke Margolis (@LukeMargolis) June 6, 2013
Jeff Chiesa is loyal Christie lieutenant, and almost as quotable as the governor (with major exception of his remarks just now.)
— kate zernike (@kzernike) June 6, 2013
Most important detail: Jeff Chiesa is the AG who broke open the murder-for-hire plot at the TickTock Diner. #discofries
— kate zernike (@kzernike) June 6, 2013