Copies of what appear to be inter-office emails show that Hudson County Prosecutor Esther Suarez was allegedly included on a chain of messages where Al Alvarez was accused of raping Katie Brennan three days after the incident took place, NJ Advance Media reported.Â
By John Heinis/Hudson County View
“My name is on so many documents, to think that I read every document that is either sent to me or that I have emailed on or that my name is on it, that would not be proper use of my time,†Suarez told NJ Advance Media.
“By sending me a document and now my job is complete, that doesn’t satisfy it. We are far, far too busy. My role is not to read documents and files all day long. I have to trust that other people are doing what they need to do.”
Alvarez, then a top campaign aide for Democratic gubernatorial candidate Phil Murphy, is accused by Brennan, then a campaign volunteer, of raping her at her Jersey City apartment.
However, both the Hudson and Middlesex County Prosecutor’s Offices decided that there was not enough evidence to charge Alvarez in the case.
Following the latest outcome by the MCPO, Alvarez’s attorneys have maintained that the relationship was consensual and that the scandal has “devastated his career,” while one of Brennan’s attorneys called the decision “outrageous.”
A committee of state legislators is still investigating how Alvarez was hired to a top post at the New Jersey School Development Authority where none of the governor’s staff has taken ownership for the hiring yet.
Suarez is yet to be called to testify in front of the committee at this time.
Ms. Suarez is the first name on the e-mail chain labeled “update” – strongly implying that this was not the first time the group, including Ms. Suarez, was advised of the allegation. She is not merely “copied” – she is the first recipient listed.
Are 27 people including the county prosecutor herself typically updated on the progress of run of the mill cases? I seriously doubt it.
It is certainly possible that Ms. Soarez is telling the truth when she says she never read these e-mails and had no idea the case was even in her office. Of course it’s also possible there’s a pig out there that flies.
I personally don’t believe the governor himself is implicated in this, but if he doesn’t shake out the truth and hold people accountable he will look like he is.