Mikie Sherrill taps Shirley Emehelu as New Jersey’s next state comptroller

She will succeed acting State Comptroller Kevin Walsh, who has led numerous high-profile investigations during his tenure.

Governor-elect Mikie Sherrill said she will nominate attorney Shirley Emehelu to serve as New Jersey’s next state comptroller, elevating a former federal and state prosecutor to lead one of the state’s top watchdog offices.

Sherrill said Emehelu’s background at the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of New Jersey and the New Jersey Office of the Attorney General aligns with her pledge to run an administration focused on transparency and accountability.

“Shirley is a leader who will fiercely uphold the rule of law, expose corruption, and ensure that state government is transparent and accountable,” Sherrill said in a written statement. “I worked closely with Shirley at the U.S. Attorney’s Office and saw how she implemented innovative reforms in the criminal legal system that improved public safety in New Jersey. I know that she will bring a focus on public service, integrity, and fairness to the Comptroller’s office to ensure that Trenton is being a good steward of New Jerseyans’ tax dollars to make life more affordable.”

Emehelu said she views the comptroller’s office as a guardian of public trust and taxpayer money.

“It’s an honor to be nominated to be New Jersey’s next comptroller. I worked alongside the Governor-elect at the U.S. Attorney’s Office, and I know that her administration will be guided by a commitment to public service and accountability to the people,” Emehelu said in a written statement. “Our office will serve as a watchdog for the state and public trust – uncovering fraud, waste, and corruption to protect New Jersey taxpayers.”

From 2022 to 2024, Emehelu served as executive assistant attorney general. She was previously a member of the white collar criminal defense and government investigations group at Chiesa Shahinian & Giantomasi, and co-led the firm’s banking and finance group.

Before that, she served as the chief of asset recovery and anti-money laundering for the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of New Jersey, overseeing statewide programs including federal asset forfeiture, money laundering, and victim restitution. During her nine-year tenure at the U.S. Attorney’s Office, she prosecuted numerous complex financial fraud cases.

Emehelu clerked for Judge James Spencer in the Eastern District of Virginia. She received her bachelor’s degree from Yale University and her law degree from Yale Law School

Emehelu will replace Acting State Comptroller Kevin Walsh, who was appointed by Gov. Phil Murphy in 2020 and has remained in an acting role throughout his tenure.

Walsh has led the comptroller’s office without Senate confirmation for more than five years, even as the office produced a steady stream of high-profile audits and investigations. Senators from Camden County have refused to confirm his nomination, leaving Walsh in a prolonged acting status while he scrutinized politically connected figures and entities.

Under Walsh, the Office of the State Comptroller has issued more than 100 investigative reports. The watchdog has exposed conflicts of interest in public health-insurance funds, flagged deficits in public pension systems, identified unconstitutional spending on police training, and documented waste and mismanagement in school transportation, nursing homes, and opioid treatment contracts.

Those investigations have frequently brought Walsh into conflict with powerful interests in Trenton and beyond. His office has examined insurance deals tied to firms linked to George Norcross, criticized a high-profile police training program, and investigated local governments.

Senate President Nicholas Scutari tried to fast-track a bill late last year that would have stripped the comptroller of key investigative tools — including most subpoena authority — and shifted them to the State Commission of Investigation, a move critics warned would “defang” Walsh and weaken one of New Jersey’s few independent oversight agencies. As Walsh noted, the State Commission already has such authority.

The proposal drew sharp opposition from open-government advocates, Attorney General Matt Platkin, U.S. Sen. Andy Kim, and Walsh himself, who called it “a naked power grab designed to weaken accountability, undermine oversight, and shield the powerful from scrutiny.” After a contentious hearing and growing political backlash, Scutari announced he would not advance the bill during the lame-duck session and said any restructuring of oversight agencies should involve the incoming governor.

On social media, Walsh said Emehelu is a great choice for New Jersey’s next state comptroller.

“She has the legal skills, experience, and judgment necessary to fight corruption and make government more efficient,” he said. “I look forward to working with her in the transition, and wish her success in this critical mission.”