The Assembly Speaker and two Democratic lawmakers who share a legislative district with Tennille R. McCoy (D-Hamilton) are withholding judgment on serious allegations of workplace abuse and ethics violations against her, saying they will await the outcome of several ongoing investigations.
“Speaker Coughlin takes these allegations very seriously. There is a process in place for handling complaints, and he will let that process play out,” said Rhonda Schaffler, a spokesperson for the Assembly Speaker. “Speaker Coughlin believes fully that every employee deserves to be respected in the workplace.”
State Sen. Linda Greenstein (D-Plainsboro) and Assemblyman Wayne DeAngelo (D-Hamilton), who share the 14th legislative district with McCoy, declined to discuss the accusations against their Democratic colleague.
“We will not comment at this time, other than to say that we believe that every employee deserves a safe and respectful workplace,” Greenstein and DeAngelo said in a joint statement. “We are awaiting the results of several ongoing investigations.”
Their comments follow a New Jersey Globe investigation detailing allegations that McCoy created a toxic workplace, verbally abused and intimidated employees, retaliated against staffers, and used taxpayer-funded legislative employees for personal errands and fundraising activities.
The New Jersey Globe interviewed 22 people who worked for McCoy and reviewed emails, text messages, contemporaneous notes, and police body camera footage documenting a 911 response to her legislative office.
Former employees described being routinely berated, threatened with disciplinary action, and pressured to perform duties unrelated to their government jobs.
McCoy has had six or seven chiefs of staff since taking office in January 2024, depending on how their positions are classified.
The allegations also raise questions about McCoy’s use of legislative resources for personal, political, and nonprofit activities.
“Her legislative office, her non-profits, and her personal life had a single wallet,” one former staffer alleged.
Former employees accused McCoy of directing legislative staff to solicit contributions for events that promoted her public profile, routing donations through nonprofit organizations.
The New Jersey Globe documented a $5,000 contribution from Netflix for an August forum McCoy hosted in Martha’s Vineyard. Emails showed interns soliciting sponsorships, while invoices documented payments through the African American Chamber of Commerce of New Jersey.
The Office of Legislative Services and the Department of Labor are reviewing complaints, and some allegations have been referred to the Joint Legislative Committee on Ethical Standards.
A copy of a written complaint alleging potential ethics violations was also sent to the New Jersey Attorney General’s Office, although the office has not indicated it has opened an investigation.
McCoy has denied wrongdoing, blaming the accusations on disgruntled former employees.
“I lead this office with the highest professional and ethical standards,” McCoy said.
She said she consulted Assembly ethics officials about her events to ensure compliance with applicable rules.
A handful of former employees defended McCoy and disputed allegations of widespread mistreatment.
RELATED ARTICLES
-
February 27, 2025 -
January 21, 2025 -
