loading . . . AG Platkin, TRUST Commission Issue Report Calling for New Tools to Eliminate Corruption and Promote Transparency and Trust in Government _Report Recommends Inspector General, Action to Address Conflicts of Interest, Additional Resources Devoted to Combating Corruption_
###### **For Immediate Release:
January 7, 2026**
**Office of the Attorney General**
– Matthew J. Platkin, _Attorney General_
###### **For Further Information:**
**Media Inquiries-**
Dan Prochilo
[email protected]
**TRENTON** — Attorney General Matthew J. Platkin and the TRUST Commission today released a report recommending new tools to help eliminate corruption, promote transparency, and strengthen the public’s trust in government. The report—the culmination of the work of the TRUST Commission (Transparency and Reliability Uniting to Secure Trust), formed in early 2025—advocates for the formation of a statutory Inspector General’s Office within the Executive Branch’s Department of Law and Public Safety (DLPS), improvements for combating conflicts of interest in government work, a new unit designed to ensure compliance by public employees and entities with state laws, regulations, and directives, and various other reforms.
“I established the TRUST Commission to bring together well-respected and accomplished New Jersey leaders to help us find ways to serve residents and respond to their concerns, because so many people have lost faith in their government and believe that government often does the bidding of the powerful and the privileged, against the will, and at the expense, of the people,” **said Attorney General Platkin**. “Building on my Department’s efforts to root out corruption and end the cynicism, disillusionment, civic disengagement, and damage that it causes, the TRUST Commission members have developed thoughtful and specific recommendations that should receive full consideration. I am honored that everyone we approached about participating on the TRUST Commission immediately agreed to give their time and expertise. I cannot thank them enough for their continued service to the State of New Jersey and its residents.”
Since the Commission was assembled, its members, which include academics, legal experts, a former state attorney general, former federal prosecutors, and retired members of the judiciary, have met with leaders of DLPS, gathered input from the Office of the State Comptroller, and held listening sessions in North and South Jersey to hear from the public and help inform the Commission’s recommendations.
The Commission’s objective was to examine ways to improve transparency, efficiency, and integrity across government. During its review and public listening sessions, the 11-member Commission heard a variety of concerns, including about alleged corruption by government officials, and identified problems such as a lack of public awareness about ways to report suspected corrupt acts.
Based on their findings, the Commission is urging that several reforms be enacted, including a collaborative effort by DLPS, the Governor’s Office, and the Legislature to combat the corrupting influence of conflicts of interest at all levels of New Jersey government. The Commission also recommends the formation of an Inspector General’s Office within DLPS under the Attorney General’s authority, where, among other things, conflict of interest and prosecutor misconduct referrals can be sent. The report also advocates for the formation of a Compliance Unit within DLPS, the establishment of a Consumer Product Safety Commission within the Division of Consumer Affairs, improvements to the process by which the public can refer matters for investigation to the State, and other changes. Additionally, the Commission members are recommending the allocation of more funding and staffing for the work of the Attorney General’s Office of Public Integrity and Accountability (OPIA), which investigates and prosecutes public corruption crimes.
Among several different areas of concern raised by members of the public during the listening sessions involved abuse committed in group homes for people with disabilities, an issue that was highlighted by several parents of adult children in such settings. The report calls upon all involved State departments to work together to improve the current hotline and referral process for reporting misconduct. The DLPS, Department of Health, Department of Human Services, and the Division of Children and Families have been meeting to improve upon the existing referral system and have been working on a more user-friendly website where the public can find information on available resources. The goal of this collaboration is to ensure that tips and complaints, regardless of how they are provided, are handled promptly and appropriately.
The following are among the other reforms being recommended by the Commission:
* Establish an Inspector General’s Office within the Executive Branch under the authority of the Attorney General.
“The work of the proposed Office of the Inspector General would expand the ability of the Department to ensure that the government is worthy of the public it serves, holding it to the highest standards and rooting out wrongdoing even when it does not rise to the level of criminality. In addition to serving a proactive investigative function, it is also the Commission’s intent that the Inspector General’s authority, including its authority to issue public reports in the absence of criminal behavior, will serve as a deterrent to potential wrongdoing and misconduct,” the report states. “This is what the public demands and what the government must demand of itself. Improving the public’s trust in the government requires significant action and dedication to eliminating fraud, abuse, and unethical or illegal activity at all levels. Establishing a statutory Office of the Inspector General within DLPS is a necessary step in furtherance of that mission.”
* New legislation designed to combat conflicts of interest in the bidding on and awarding of public contracts.
“Improper bidding on public contracts, self-dealing, and the immense and unjust benefits of political deal-making that line the pockets of the well-connected are pervasive,” the report states. “The public senses it and feels powerless to take any action to stop it.”
* The Commission recommends the Legislature, the Division of Criminal Justice (DCJ), and OPIA craft a statute establishing a new offense that would criminalize intentionally including inaccurate or misleading statements in the bidding process or excluding relevant information with the intent to mislead or deceive.
* The Legislature should enact a criminal statute in New Jersey akin to the federal statute that criminalizes lying to a government official.
* A Compliance Unit should be established, ideally within the Attorney General’s Inspector General’s Office, to track and report on the compliance of individuals, agencies, and entities supervised and regulated by LPS, including police officers licensed by the Police Training Commission, licensees of the Alcohol Beverage Commission, gambling and horse racing entities regulated by the Division of Gaming Enforcement, and licensed health care professionals. This unit would ensure that these individuals and entities are abiding by laws, regulations, and Attorney General Directives, and it would publicly report on the compliance.
* Simplifying the process for accepting corruption complaints and referrals for investigation from the public and responding to individuals who refer matters to be more efficient.
The full report is available here.
### https://www.njoag.gov/ag-platkin-trust-commission-issue-report-calling-for-new-tools-to-eliminate-corruption-and-promote-transparency-and-trust-in-government/
