Gill: Hugin actions at Celgene require more scrutiny

TRENTON – State Sen. Nia Gill (D-Montclair) says a more thorough review of Bob Hugin’s tenure as CEO of pharmaceutical giant Celgene is warranted following news that the Republican U.S. Senate candidate fought the admission of women and gays into a private Princeton University eating club as a student in the 1970’s and as an alumni in the 1990’s.

“What has been discovered is a mindset.  Decisions he has made as CEO require a fuller examination,” said Gill.

But Gill said that Hugin’s record as head of the Tiger Inn eating club, which fought opening the doors to women in federal court, is enough to disqualify him from serving in the United States Senate and from voting to confirm Justices to the U.S. Supreme Court.

The Hugin campaign pushed back on Gill’s call for greater scrutiny of Celgene’s record on the treatment of women and the LGBTQ community.

“How about Senator Gill examines it before she makes uninformed comments? While she’s at it, Senator Gill should read the indictment against Senator Menendez and the bipartisan Ethics Committee letter detailing how he accepted $1 million in illegal gifts and broke federal law. After she’s finished, she should tell us how she can defend his corrupt behavior,” said Megan Piwowar, Hugin’s communications director.

Gill and four other women Senators – Majority Leader Loretta Weinberg (D-Teaneck), Senate President Pro-Tempore Teresa Ruiz (D-Newark), Sandra Cunningham (D-Jersey City) and Nellie Pou (D-Paterson) – spoke out against Hugin at a press conference on Thursday 27in Trenton and advocated on behalf of their fellow Democrat, Bob Menendez.

Weinberg said that she was a Teaneck councilwoman at the time Hugin was still helping Princeton students fight the admission of women, and derided the idea that the Republican was “still evolving on issues of women’s rights.”

“All the men and women on the council didn’t need evolving,” Weinberg said.

Weinberg also criticized Hugin’s ties to President Donald Trump and former Gov. Chris Christie.