New Jersey Attorney General Matthew Platkin is facing impeachment proceedings initiated by Republican leaders in the state Assembly. The articles of impeachment allege that Platkin misused his authority by targeting pro-life pregnancy centers, specifically citing his investigation into First Choice Women’s Resource Centers, which operates five locations in the state.
In the previous year, Platkin’s office demanded extensive information from First Choice, including the names of staff members and donors, under the Consumer Fraud Act. The investigation purportedly aimed to ensure that donors were not misled into believing the center provided abortion services.
Alliance Defending Freedom (ADF), representing First Choice, contends that the investigation infringes upon the First Amendment rights of free speech, religion, and association. They argue that releasing donor identities could expose them to potential threats, especially considering past incidents where pregnancy resource centers faced vandalism and violence following the Supreme Court’s Dobbs decision.
First Choice’s legal counsel, Gabriella McIntyre, asserted, “When the [U.S. Supreme Court’s 2022] Dobbs decision that overruled Roe v. Wade was leaked, there were multiple instances of pregnancy resource centers across the country being firebombed, being vandalized, and also death threats made against some of the folks who worked at these pregnancy resource centers.”
ADF has filed a petition with the U.S. Supreme Court, seeking to allow First Choice to challenge the attorney general’s actions in federal court. They assert that without such intervention, state officials could suppress dissenting viewpoints without federal oversight.
The impeachment resolution also accuses Platkin of undermining public trust in law enforcement by directing investigations that allegedly hindered state police operations. Assembly Republican Leader John DiMaio stated, “Platkin has undermined people’s trust in our police and the office of the Attorney General. We’re starting the impeachment process to balance the scales of justice…He is not above the law.”
The New Jersey Constitution stipulates that the impeachment process begins in the Assembly, requiring a majority vote. If approved, the proceedings move to the Senate, where a two-thirds majority is necessary to remove the attorney general from office.
