TRENTON (WCBS 880) — The man accused of raping a woman before securing a high-paying job in the Murphy administration testified before state lawmakers Tuesday claiming he does not know who hired him.
“No one ever said to me, ‘you’re hired,’” said Al Alvarez.
Alvarez, the former chief of staff for New Jersey’s Schools Development Authority, is accused of raping Katie Brennan, whom he worked with on Gov. Phil Murphy’s election campaign.
Alvarez resigned in October 2018 when the Wall Street Journal published an account of Brennan’s sexual assault allegations.
Brennan testified that she had told multiple people in the administration about her allegation and nothing was done. Now, investigators are looking to find out who knew and more importantly, who hired Alvarez despite the allegations.
Alvarez told a legislative panel, which was established last year to probe the administration's hiring practices, that he was interested in the position and simply took over the role.
“I expressed my interest there and no one objected to me going there,” he said.
Alvarez denies the charges and was not charged. He added Tuesday, “The sexual contact between myself and Ms. Brennan was consensual.”
Alvarez's attorneys also provided Politico with a video in which prosecutors told Brennan the DNA she provided did not match Alvarez.
Brennan, in a statement, said that she will continue to fight for justice.