A former aide to New Jersey Gov. Phil Murphy was accused of sexual assaulting a woman in 2017. He was not charged, and a video obtained by Al Alvarez's (the accused) attorneys sheds light on the Hudson County prosecutor’s decision not to
poster="http://v.politico.com/images/1155968404/201903/782/1155968404_6012775814001_6012781809001-vs.jpg?pubId=1155968404"That decision has hung over hours of testimony before a joint legislative committee investigating a scandal that has embroiled Murphy’s administration since Brennan, now a top state housing official, took her story public in an interview with The Wall Street Journal in October 2018.
“There is no doubt that Mr. Alvarez’s life has been devastated by Ms. Brennan’s accusations. He has been relentlessly attacked in the media and branded a rapist, all without an opportunity to defend himself,” Alvarez’s attorney, Stacy Ann Biancamano, said in a statement. “Although the damage to his reputation will never fully be undone, the release of the investigative files will hopefully begin to repair it.
Biancamano said the breadth of the investigation should dispel the notion prosecutors didn’t do their due diligence. Alvarez is scheduled to testify Tuesday before the Joint Legislative Oversight Committee, which has been investigating why he was hired as chief of staff at the SDA even though top Murphy administration staffers knew about Brennan’s allegation. Alvarez will not address the rape allegations in his testimony, according to an agreement co-chair Loretta Weinberg said the committee made with his attorneys.
Brennan told The Wall Street Journal that prosecutors had found DNA and saliva, but had deemed it not strong enough evidence. Testifying in December before the Joint Legislative Select Oversight Committee, she said prosecutors found DNA that helped fuel her optimism that Alvarez would be charged. Both Brennan and Alvarez said there was sexual contact between them that night. What’s in dispute is whether it was consensual.
"I said like ‘Why are you doing this? Stop doing this,’ and I got very clinical about it,“ she told investigators. “I even said it was sort of out of body at this point, this is actually happening, this is crazy. I literally uttered the phrase ‘this is not consensual.‘ I was like, how many times do I need to say no?"
He told prosecutors that that they kissed in his car and later inside her apartment next to the window. “When I was taking off my pants, that was the first time she said, ‘Stop. We can’t do this. This can’t go on,’ that she was uncomfortable,” he told investigators. “She started telling me that she’s married, that we’re in her apartment, that her husband lives there, that this is not right, that we can’t do this.”
United States Latest News, United States Headlines
Similar News:You can also read news stories similar to this one that we have collected from other news sources.
China regulator approves 95 new video games, including from Tencent, NetEaseChina's content regulator on Friday said it has approved the monetization o...
Read more »
China regulator approves 95 new video games, including from Tencent, NetEaseChina's content regulator on Friday said it has approved the monetization of 95 new video games.
Read more »
New York Media lays off 32 people, including 5% of full-time staffThe departments most affected include audience development/circulation, copy, fact, production, and video.
Read more »
VAR will help Premier League referees next season, says GuardiolaManchester City manager Pep Guardiola said he expected the video assistant refer...
Read more »
Highly successful millionaires all play brain games—here are 3 science-backed exercises to try todayHighly successful millionaires all play brain games—here are 3 science-backed exercises to try today via CNBCMakeIt
Read more »
Transit cop seen slamming man to the ground is under investigationA New Jersey transit officer who was captured on video throwing a man to the ground at least twice has been placed on leave amid an investigation.
Read more »
Danish police charge 14 for sharing Morocco murder video on social mediaDanish police have charged 14 people for sharing a video on social media purport...
Read more »