NJ Embroiled In 7 Big Lawsuits: Here's What They're Fighting

New Jersey has gotten very busy lately – in court.

Indeed, the Office of Attorney General has found itself embroiled in seven lawsuits over the past month, filing legal papers to prevent a variety of actions deemed harmful to New Jersey – including offshore drilling and President Trump's border wall, among other things.

Here is each lawsuit, and why New Jersey is involved:

NJ Sues to Challenge President Trump's Emergency Declaration, Border Wall

New Jersey has joined California and 14 other states in suing to prevent the Trump administration from using emergency funds to pay for a border wall, saying the administration will take money away from projects that benefit New Jersey.

The Office of Attorney General says the administration will rely on its declaring of a national emergency to divert up to $3.6 billion budgeted for military construction projects to the border wall effort.

The OAG also says the administration also plans to annex up to $2.5 billion from counter-narcotics programs and to draw another $601 million from a Treasury Department asset forfeiture fund.

Read more: NJ Sues To Stop Trump Emergency Declaration, Wall: Here's Why

“The real national emergency is a president who refuses to adhere to the rule of law,” said Attorney General Gurbir S. Grewal said. “In its effort to cater to a select few on the right, this Administration is trampling on our Constitution and circumventing the will of Congress. As the chief law enforcement officer for New Jersey, I have a duty to stand up for New Jersey’s residents – including our immigrant community – and so I’m joining states across the country in challenging this emergency declaration in court.”

New Jersey Files Motion to Prevent Offshore Drilling

New Jersey says it has joined a motion in federal court seeking to block drilling-related seismic testing activity.

New Jersey and its fellow Plaintiff states – New York, Maryland, Connecticut, Delaware, Maine, North Carolina, Massachusetts and Virginia – support a request for an injunction.

“We’ve said from day one that offshore drilling is bad for New Jersey, and we’re going to fight it every step of the way,” said Grewal. “We are seeking a court order, effective immediately, to stop the federal government from taking any further actions to allow seismic testing off our coast. We will not sit idly by and allow our pristine coast – and the people who rely on it – to suffer the harms and risks associated with seismic testing and offshore drilling.”

New Jersey Is Seeking to Block Federal Rule that Would Restrict Access to Health Care, Family Planning

New Jersey has announced that it's a participant in a multi-state lawsuit seeking to block a new federal regulation that would limit access to health care and family planning services for millions of low-income individuals and families.

The Trump administration has imposed a multitude of new restrictions on the Title X program, which provides more than $286 million in federal funding annually to support an array of vital health care services in New Jersey and across the nation.

Those include reproductive health services and counseling to 4 million women. In New Jersey, Title X-funded health care providers are considered an essential part of the health care landscape, having served nearly 100,000 patients and prevented more than 19,000 unplanned pregnancies in 2017.

“The Trump Administration’s attempt to limit access to critical health care and family planning resources is reckless and unacceptable,” said Gov. Phil Murphy. “Low-income New Jerseyans rely on Title X for critical primary and preventive health care needs and providing access to these services is essential in building a stronger and fairer New Jersey. I fully support Attorney General Grewal and his efforts to challenge this rule in court.”

NJ Leads Lawsuit Challenging Trump Administration Rollback of Public Reporting on Workplace Injuries, Illness

New Jersey has filed a lawsuit seeking to stop the Trump Administration from implementing a new rule that officials say would weaken employers’ public reporting obligations for workplace injury and illness information.

In 2016, the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) directed all large employers – those with 250 or more employees – to submit to OSHA information from three different workplace injury and illness tracking forms that employers already have to maintain.

But just three years later, OSHA pulled an “about face” and disowned that commitment to transparency and public reporting, the OAG says.

“New Jersey workers – and workers across the country – have the right to know about dangerous conditions on the job,” said Grewal. “Public reporting of workplace safety information helps states enforce our labor laws, forces employers to remove hazards, and empowers workers to demand improvements. Workers deserve that transparency, and the federal government should not be trying to take it away. If Washington won’t stand up for our workers, then I will.”

AG, DEP File Natural Resource Damage Suit Against ExxonMobil

Grewal has filed a six-count lawsuit against ExxonMobil, alleging the company is liable for harmful contamination found on and around its 12-acre-plus Lail property in Gloucester County.

Filed on behalf of the state Department of Environmental Protection, the lawsuit centers on industrial dumping activity at the Lail site in East Greenwich Township and Paulsboro Borough dating back to the 1950s.

“We’re going to bring the hammer down on polluters and hold them responsible for the damage they’ve caused in the Garden State,” said Grewal. “We have strong laws on the books to require companies to clean up their mess, and we’re going to keep using them. That includes revitalizing New Jersey’s longstanding efforts to take ExxonMobil to task for contamination across the state."

Lawsuit Filed Against Two NJ ‘Buy Here-Pay Here’ Auto Dealerships Alleging Fraud

Grewal and the Division of Consumer Affairs have announced that the state has filed a lawsuit against two South Jersey “Buy Here-Pay Here” auto dealerships and their owner for allegedly targeting financially vulnerable consumers in predatory sales and loan tactics.

Nu 2 U Auto World in Clementon, Pine Valley Motors Inc. of New Jersey in Berlin and Kenneth R. Cohen of Magnolia allegedly preyed on consumers unable to acquire credit at more traditional car dealerships by

• Selling them high-mileage, used autos at grossly inflated prices;
• Financing the sales through in-house loans with high interest rates and draconian terms that created a high risk of default;
• Reclaiming and reselling the vehicles over and over again to different consumers in a practice known as “churning.”

“Governor Murphy promised New Jersey consumers increased protections against financial exploitation and we’re making good on that promise,” said Grewal. “As this lawsuit demonstrates, we are prepared to use the broad enforcement powers of New Jersey’s Consumer Fraud Act, and other laws and regulations at our disposal, to protect New Jersey consumers from unconscionable and deceptive lending practices.”

Grewal Files Amicus Brief Supporting Challenge to Updated DOJ Opinion on Internet Gambling Legality

Acting to protect New Jersey’s online gaming industry in the face of a U.S. Justice Department opinion that threatens its future, Grewal said this week that he has filed an amicus brief supporting the New Hampshire Lottery Commission in its federal lawsuit challenging the opinion.

Issued in November 2018, the DOJ opinion holds that all forms of online gaming – not just internet sports betting – is potentially subject to federal criminal prosecution. In 2011, DOJ issued an opinion saying the opposite – that most forms of online gaming (aside from internet sports wagering) were permissible under federal law.

“The future of New Jersey’ online gaming industry is at stake because of DOJ’s unlawful about-face regarding internet gaming – activity that DOJ promised us was perfectly legal just eight years ago,” said Grewal. “We will not stand by and let this arbitrary, politically-driven reinterpretation destroy a vibrant and essential industry here in our state. Online gaming is vital not only to the economic well-being of Atlantic City and New Jersey, and we are proud to stand with New Hampshire in challenging the opinion.”