A “wall of secrecy” that attorneys for Montclair Township tried to erect in the Montclair chief financial officer’s whistleblower case came tumbling down this morning.

In response to Judge Stephen Petrillo’s June 2 decision on the record, denying Montclair’s motion to seal and cross-motion to seal, Riker Danzig filed unredacted documents on Tuesday, June 21, making public much of what attorney Derrick Freijomil of Riker Danzig had argued to seal – an argument Petrillo described as Kafkaesque.

Here is everything that was previously redacted that Montclair wanted CFO Padmaja Rao to be “walled of” from:

1. The New Jersey State Health Benefits Program and the implementation thereof.
2. The investigation and any report by and the retention and payment of O’Toole Scrivo.
3. The Fire Department investigation, including but not limited to the reports of the Affirmative Action Officer related thereto.
4. The Township Council’s Finance Subcommittee.
5. Any and all investigations or four allegations of alleged workplace harassment, including but not limited to claims or statements given by anyone (e.g., Lee, Trembulak, and York) and any reports or analyses thereon (e.g., by the Township’s Affirmative Action Officer and/or Legal Department and/or by any outside retained counsel, such as the Lindabury firm).
6. The Township’s consideration of its liability insurer (which is funding the defense of this action).

The judge ordered that Rao should be prohibited from access only to any...

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