Corruption Watchdog or Political Shield? OPIA Destroys Evidence as Hudson County’s Political Machine Expands Its Grip

June 27, 2025

The very agency tasked with rooting out corruption in New Jersey has now been caught engaging in what appears to be a shocking act of self-protection and possible evidence tampering.

According to a bombshell report from the New Jersey Globe, the Office of Public Integrity and Accountability (OPIA)—a division under the New Jersey Attorney General’s office—intentionally destroyed work-issued cell phones belonging to three of their own lead investigators in a major political corruption case. These phones contained key text messages that were never preserved, despite active discovery requests dating back as far as 2020.

Let that sink in: the watchdogs destroyed their own evidence.

🚨 OPIA’s Stunning Disregard for Justice

The corruption case in question involved former Assemblyman Jason O’Donnell, accused of accepting cash in a sting operation tied to pay-to-play politics in Bayonne. But now, thanks to the OPIA’s actions, the focus has shifted from the defendant to the prosecutors themselves.

In court filings, defense attorney Leo Hurley described the destruction of these phones as a direct threat to the constitutional rights of the accused. The wiped devices belonged to OPIA investigators Michael Fallon, Ho Chul Shin, and Brian Powers—key players in the sting operation whose communications could have held critical exculpatory or procedural information.

Adding to the embarrassment, a fourth phone remains missing entirely, its investigator reportedly on military leave.

How does this happen in an office supposedly dedicated to public integrity?

🔥 A Pattern of Incompetence, Corruption, and Political Cover-Ups

Let’s not pretend this is an isolated incident. The OPIA, since its creation, has been repeatedly accused of being more of a political weapon than a justice-seeking body. Critics across both political parties have raised serious concerns about the unit’s lack of accountability, its tendency to selectively prosecute, and now, its apparent willingness to destroy evidence when it suits them.

The New Jersey Attorney General’s office—headed by Matt Platkin—has yet to provide a credible explanation as to why these devices were wiped long after discovery obligations were established. Instead, the response from the state has been muted, bureaucratic, and frankly, insulting to the intelligence of the New Jersey public.

Where is the urgency? Where is the independent oversight? Why are the people who claim to be cleaning up corruption allowed to operate in the shadows without consequence?

🔗 The Corruption Network: Bayonne to the Sheriff’s Department

As this story unfolds, it coincides with another troubling development in Hudson County: Bayonne Mayor Jimmy Davis has just won the Democratic primary for Hudson County Sheriff, defeating five-term incumbent Frank Schillari.

Let’s be clear—Davis does not bring a reputation of reform. He brings a well-known track record of scandals and possible corruption. Given that the original pay-to-play corruption in Bayonne was exposed under his watch, it is not a stretch to assume that this same culture of backroom deals and political favoritism could now spread directly into the sheriff’s department once Davis is sworn in.

Even more concerning, Davis was heavily backed by none other than the already scandal-ridden Union City Mayor and State Senator Brian Stack, a figure deeply entrenched in the Hudson County political machine.

This isn’t just about Bayonne anymore. The web of corruption appears to be tightening its grip on key law enforcement positions, potentially reaching deeper into Hudson County and the state government itself. The OPIA’s destruction of evidence in the O’Donnell case now seems less like a tragic error and more like business as usual in a county where the political machine’s influence is vast, unchecked, and dangerously interconnected.

⚖️ Systemic Breakdown

When law enforcement agencies destroy their own evidence, it doesn’t just undermine a single case—it undermines the entire justice system.

How many other investigations have been quietly compromised by OPIA’s incompetence or, worse, deliberate misconduct? How many political careers have been protected because of phones that suddenly went missing or files that mysteriously disappeared?

This is not about partisan politics—this is about the basic expectation that those who enforce the law must also follow it.

🚨 Immediate Federal Investigation Needed

The people of New Jersey deserve more than carefully worded press releases and half-hearted internal reviews. This situation demands an immediate, independent, federal investigation.

The destruction of evidence by the OPIA reeks of a cover-up and points to a systemic rot inside the very agency tasked with protecting the public trust. The Attorney General’s office should not be allowed to police itself—especially not now.

New Jersey has a long and painful history of corruption. With Jimmy Davis now set to control the Hudson County Sheriff’s Office, backed by political powerbrokers like Brian Stack, we may be witnessing a dangerous new chapter where the reach of the Hudson County political machine extends even further into law enforcement and state government.

The next court hearing in the O’Donnell case is scheduled for October 21, but New Jerseyans shouldn’t wait until then to demand answers.

We must ask:

Who watches the watchdogs? And who is protecting them?