‘what Makes You Special?’: Raucous New Jersey Hearing Ends In Petty Attacks Against Andy Kim, Other State Officials

TRENTON, New Jersey — In Washington, Sen. Andy Kim is known as a reliable vote against the Trump administration’s agenda.

In Trenton, at least one Democrat is questioning that commitment — but only after Kim raised concerns that New Jersey lawmakers are trying to weaken a key state watchdog agency that has prioritized anti-corruption efforts.

A legislative showdown is brewing in the New Jersey Statehouse, with state Senate Democrats trying to take away investigative powers from the state comptroller, while at the same time giving a separate government watchdog — the State Commission of Investigation — additional responsibilities. And on Monday, a debate over the bill devolved into a raucous hearing with petty moves and political cheap shots against some of the state’s top officials.

It comes a month after Gov.-elect Mikie Sherrill won a landslide victory for governor, and the bill could hamstring her pledges on government transparency before she takes the oath. She has publicly said she will not comment on the bill.

The proposal from state lawmakers to weaken the comptroller has become a cause célèbre for the state’s progressive Democratic base — while also drawing comparisons to the Trump administration’s efforts to fire inspectors general and take control of independent agencies.

“How can we legitimately criticize the lawlessness that we see and the disregard of transparency and accountability down in D.C., if we are taking actions in our own state capital that will weaken safeguards here at home?” Kim told members of the State Government, Wagering, Tourism & Historic Preservation Committee on Monday.

After Kim expressed his opposition to the comptroller bill, State Sen. James Beach, who chairs the committee, suggested that Kim was not sufficiently opposing the president’s agenda.

“I do not respect the President of the United States and why did you vote with him so many times?” Beach asked Kim, prompting grumblings from the crowd which ironically was mostly comprised of Democratic activists. Beach cited Kim voting to support two of Trump’s cabinet officials, Kristi Noem and Marco Rubio.

Kim responded: “I will stand up against Trump in the same way that I will stand up against corruption here in New Jersey.”

The Comptroller’s Office under acting Comptroller Kevin Walsh has released headline-making reports, alleging fraud, waste and abuse in some of the highest levels of Democratic power in the state. The proposal lawmakers advanced on Monday would strip key investigative powers from the comptroller, leaving it to oversee Medicaid fraud, contract procurements and other audits while effectively killing its ongoing investigations.

The proposal to weaken the comptroller — pushed by Senate President Nick Scutari, the second-most powerful person in Trenton — has caused Kim, Walsh and Attorney General Matt Platkin to take the unusual step of trying to derail the legislation. All three spoke at Monday’s hearing.

The hearing had petty undertones. Beach had the three state officials wait nearly four hours to express their opposition to the proposal.

When Kim said that he waited hours to speak and would likely miss Senate votes because of the delay, Beach appeared uninterested in accommodating him.

“Yeah, so what? So was everyone else. Why do you think you’re special? You’re not,” he said.

(A spokesperson for Kim later confirmed to POLITICO that Kim missed his train to Washington.)

Kim noted that another person who testified in favor of the bill was allowed to speak and take questions from senators for around 40 minutes.

“He came at my request — you didn’t,” Beach responded.

Platkin said that he would be looking into Beach’s comments.

“I would just note for the record that’s a textbook First Amendment violation of viewpoint discrimination, which the Attorney General’s Office will be taking up,” he said.

Beach was similarly cold toward Platkin. During the hearing, he told the Democratic Attorney General that there were “many black eyes” under his leadership and that “you are the problem.”

(Notably, Platkin tried prosecuting Beach’s political benefactor, South Jersey Democratic power broker George Norcross, on corruption charges. A judge dismissed the charges although Platkin is appealing the case.)

Platkin challenged Beach’s claims that he “drug down the department” — and started listing his accomplishments ranging from billions in federal funds preserved due to lawsuits against the Trump administration, playing a key role in preserving birthright citizenship and lawsuits to keep New Jerseyans on federal food assistance during the federal government shutdown.

“What’ve you been up to, senator? What are you claiming?” Walsh chimed in after Platkin.

Beach declined to take questions after the hearing. When asked by reporters why he would not speak, he said: “I’m hungry.”

Walsh told reporters after the hearing he was “optimistic” that Gov. Phil Murphy and Assembly Speaker Craig Coughlin would not allow the bill to become law.

“This bill is an affront to democracy and the way that this bill was debated debased the Senate,” he said.