Former Assistant U.S. Attorney Will Become 'Watchdog' For Hudson County.

HUDSON COUNTY, NJ — Hudson County, which developed a bit of a reputation for corruption over the decades is getting a new "watchdog."

Last month, Hudson County Executive Craig Guy appointed attorney Desiree Grace to lead the county's first-ever Office of Inspector General, a "watchdog" office created this summer.

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Grace's selection was set to be announced at Tuesday's caucus of the Board of County Commissioners, who oversee county budgets, parks, and personnel.

She spent nine years at the U.S. Attorney's Office for the District of New Jersey, serving as first assistant United States attorney, deputy chief of the criminal division, and criminal division chief.

Hudson County government is run by Guy, as well as a paid staff. The elected County Commissioners, formerly known as the Board of Chosen Freeholders, vote on personnel, budgets, and policies.

Guy proposed the ordinance in July to establish the Office of the Inspector General.

The Hudson County Board of Commissioners unanimously passed it last month, creating the county's first office of its kind.

The move came six months after a different kind of county watchdog, the supervisor of weights and measures, was suspended.

"Desiree Grace's credentials are impeccable, and I have no doubt she will lead the Office of Inspector General with integrity and independence," Guy said. "My administration prioritizes transparency and accountability, and the Office of Inspector General will serve as a watchdog ensuring Hudson County taxpayer dollars are not wasted or misspent."

Hudson County Counsel Alberico De Pierro recommended Grace after a selection process.

"Desiree was one of numerous candidates vetted, and it became resoundingly clear that she was the perfect candidate for the office," De Pierro said. "Her career in safeguarding the taxpayers perfectly aligns with the quality of candidate needed."

Grace graduated cum laude from the University of Maryland with a Bachelor of Arts degree, and received her Juris Doctor from Seton Hall University School of Law, where she graduated magna cum laude, according to the county.

She won the Federal Law Enforcement Foundation's Prosecutor of the Year award in 2019 and 2024. She currently serves as a partner at McCarter and English in Newark.

"I am truly honored to be considered to serve as the Hudson County Inspector General," said Grace. "I have dedicated the majority of my career to investigative work aimed at improving the community, and I welcome the opportunity to use that skill set to serve Hudson County in this new initiative."

Grace's contract is expected to go before commissioners at their meeting this Thursday.