New Jersey officially has a new attorney general

STATEWIDE – Jeff Chiesa was sworn in as the state’s 59th attorney general at the Hughes Justice Complex in Trenton on Tuesday.
Chiesa replaces Paula Dow, who has since accepted a position at the Port Authority. Dow was appointed to the Port Authority by Gov. Chris Christie while she awaits state Senate action on her nomination to a Superior Court judgeship, according to a Star Ledger report.
Chiesa, 46, served as chief counsel to Christie from January 2010 through December 2011, according to a release from the attorney general’s office. Chiesa’s nomination was confirmed by a unanimous vote of the Senate Judiciary Committee on Jan. 5, and approved by the state Senate by a 37-0 vote on Jan. 9.
Prior to his appointment as chief counsel, Chiesa served as executive director of Christie’s transition team, according to the release. Chiesa was previously a partner at the law firm of Wolf & Samson in their litigation group, according to the release. Before joining Wolf & Samson, Chiesa worked in the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of New Jersey from 2002 to 2009, concluding his tenure there as the Executive Assistant U.S. Attorney. Christie was the U.S. Attorney for the District New Jersey from January 2002 until December 2008. — Ray Smith