The attorney general today yanked acting Union County prosecutor Michael Monahan and called on Elizabeth police director James Cosgrove to resign after a probe found he used racist and misogynistic slurs.
Gurbir Grewal’s decision to replace Monahan with First Assistant attorney general Jennifer Davenport comes days after the prosecutor’s office took control of the internal affairs functions of the Elizabeth police department.
Grewal has directed Davenport to conduct an audit of workplace culture – including hiring and promotional practices – in the Elizabeth police department. The Office of Public Integrity & Accountability will aid that effort, the attorney general said.
“Here in New Jersey, we have worked hard to strengthen trust between police and the communities we serve, and we have no patience for those who fail to recognize that our ultimate responsibility is to the laws of this State and the people of New Jersey,” Grewal said. “While I have great faith in the men and women who make up the Elizabeth Police Department, it is apparent that their Director has fallen short.”
Grewal has also dispatched his special assistant, Joseph Walsh, to Union County to become counsel to the acting prosecutors.
Monahan has been acting prosecutor since January 2018. He will return to his previous post as deputy attorney general.