From Federal Prosecutor to Acting Secretary of State
From 2010 to 2019, Emehelu served as an Assistant U.S. Attorney, where she worked alongside Sherrill as a federal prosecutor. She served as chief of asset recovery and anti-money laundering, overseeing federal asset forfeiture, money laundering, and victim restitution programs, and prosecuted complex financial fraud cases. She also worked in the criminal and special prosecutions division on major financial crimes and public corruption cases.
Before her federal service, Emehelu practiced at Chiesa Shahinian & Giantomasi, handling white-collar criminal defense and government investigations while co-chairing the firm’s banking and finance group. From 2004 to 2010, she was an associate at Debevoise & Plimpton and had also worked at Sullivan & Cromwell.
A Short List That Included Lawmakers and Outsiders
Another serious candidate, Assemblyman Chigozie Onyema (D-Newark), withdrew his name from consideration a few weeks ago.
The governor’s office declined to comment or confirm Sherrill’s pick of Emehelu.
First All-Women Ticket in State History
The appointment marks the first time New Jersey will have women serving as both governor and lieutenant governor, making it the fifth state to do so. New York and New Mexico will join the list in January.
A Path from Lagos to Yale Law
Emehelu was born in Nigeria and emigrated to the United States at age three; both of her parents were physicians. Her family moved to Pittsburgh five years later.
She was named to the post by Attorney General Matt Platkin. Late last year, she had been on the short list of candidates for attorney general.
Sherrill is now expected to nominate a new state comptroller.
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