NJ Legislator, Former CBS-3 Investigator, Promises 'Bridgegate' Fairness
By David Madden
TRENTON, N.J. (CBS) -- There's a new member on that joint legislative committee in New Jersey looking into the "Bridgegate" scandal (see related stories) and other alleged abuses of power. And he plans to put his past professional experience to work.
Before NJ assemblyman Paul Moriarty of Washington Township got into politics, he worked for 17 years as an investigative reporter for CBS-3. Assembly speaker Vincent Prieto highlighted that fact as he appointed Moriarty to the Select Committee on Investigation.
"I spent years as an investigative reporter, sifting through documents and trying to find out what went wrong or what actually occurred," Moriarty notes, "so I think I have some experience to bring to the table -- because we're sifting through thousands and thousands of documents."
But Moriarty doesn't appear to be approaching this new assignment with any preconceived notions. And that's the one piece of advice he offers to his colleagues on the Select Committee on Investigation -- like they teach in journalism school: don't jump to any conclusions, examine the evidence carefully, and, above all, be fair to everybody involved.