Georgia

The (New Jersey) Ethics Commission, which would rule on any ethics complaints against state officials in Bridgegate or other Christie administration scandals, yesterday approved Gov. Chris Christie’s recommendation for its new executive director -- Susana Espasa Guerrero, a former governor’s counsel who served in the governor's office with all nine Christie aides subpoenaed in Bridgegate.

Former members of the state Ethics Commission are taking issue with the way Christie injected the governor's office into the hiring of its past two executive directors..."The commission is supposed to choose the executive director, not the governor,” said...William E. Schluter, the former Republican state senator who...formerly served as vice chairman...“Now, this is the second time that the governor has put in his own choice as executive director. The commission has to have total independence. That was the purpose of the reforms implemented after Gov. McGreevey left office in disgrace.”

...Neither the governor's office nor the Ethics Commission made any formal announcement of Guerrero’s appointment yesterday, but her name was listed as executive director on the staff list on the commission’s website.