U.S. Attorney Philip R. Sellinger declined to comment on his expected departure after Donald Trump takes office.
New presidents traditionally seek the resignations of all U.S. Attorneys from previous administrations, especially when the White House changes parties.
“I’m not going to comment on unrelated matters,” Sellinger said at a press conference announcing that the Trenton Police Department engaged in a pattern of excessive force that violates the Fourth Amendment of the U.S. Constitution.
But Sellinger hinted that changes in the U.S. Attorney’s office won’t impact the findings in the Trenton police probe.
“Relative to this particular investigation, our expectation is that the work on this investigation and promoting a remedy will continue under the next administration,” Sellinger said. “We have career professionals who have worked on this case, both in the U.S. Attorney’s Office and at the Department of Justice, and their work will continue.”
Paul Fishman, who had been named U.S. Attorney by Barack Obama, didn’t leave office until March 2017; it took Trump’s new attorney general, Jeff Sessions, roughly six weeks to seek Fishman’s resignation. His successor, Craig Carpenito, resigned fifteen days before Biden took office.
The 70-year-old Sellinger was nominated by Joe Biden as the U.S. Attorney for New Jersey on October 27, 2021, and confirmed by the U.S. Senate eleven days later. He was the choice of the state’s senior U.S. Senator at the time, Bob Menendez. The relationship between Sellinger and Menendez became messy and ultimately deteriorated; Sellinger wound up testifying against Menendez at his federal corruption trial.
Two state senators and strong Trump supporters, Doug Steinhardt (R-Lopatcong) and Michael Testa, Jr. (R-Vineland), are reportedly among those the Trump transition team is considering to replace Sellinger.
Also on the list is Scott McBride, a partner at Lowenstein Sandler and a former federal prosecutor while Chris Christie was the U.S. Attorney. McBride supported Christie for the Republican nomination for president against Trump in 2023, but also has ties to the other side: his wife is the goddaughter of former New York City Mayor and Trump ally Rudy Giuliani.