NJ Senate President seeks to consolidate Trenton watchdogs
By: Katie Sobko
NorthJersey.com
USA Today Network - New Jersey
..... In a move New Jersey's acting state comptroller Kevin Walsh called NJ 'transparency' at this worst," a bill that would move investigator "powers. functions and duties" from the state comptroller's office to the State Commission of Investigation will appear before a state senate committee Monday [12/01/2025] morning.
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The bill will be presented at the state senate's state government, wagering, tourism and historic preservation committee meeting at 10 AM. on Monday, December 1. [2025]
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Sponsored by Senate President Nick Scutari, the bill claimed to continue the "process of consolidating and eliminating duplication among state government oversight entities" and cites action taken 15 years ago to move the office of the inspector general and the Medicaid inspector general into the office of the state comptroller back inn 2010.
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According to the bill language, moving the investigation work out of the comptroller's office and instead consolidating it within SCI "provides necessary insulation from partisan influence, changes in executive administration and changes in legislative personnel."
..... The SCI features appointments form the governor as well as the Legislature. this bill would increase their salary from $35,000 to 475,000 each year.
Scutari: 'We have a lot of watchdogs'
..... This isn't the first time Scutari has expressed interest in cutting back on the state's watchdog agencies. back in January [2025] he spoke about having fewer watchdog agencies in New Jersey.
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"I think what we have is a lot of watchdogs, a lot of them. We have ELEC, SCI, we have comptroller, the Attorney General's Office, we have county prosecutors," he said at the time. "One of these days we're going to have to look at consolidation of those efforts."
..... The head of one such watchdog - Kevin Walsh - has been serving in that capacity for four years, but Scutari said he was "not certain" Walsh would have enough support to be confirmed by the state Senate and would have to step down if his nomination was put to a vote.
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"I think the concern is the amount of money that office has spent without one single indictment in all these years," Scutari said. "That office has spent an extraordinary amount of money in investigation and producing reports that have not resulted in one criminal charge."
..... Walsh's office has targeted numerous politicians and their allies in recent years and has been under fire from lawmakers as a result.
..... When asked about consolidating watchdog agencies before the election, Governor-elect Mikie Sherrill told USA today Network New Jersey that she perform their jobs.
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"I don't have a sense that that's always the case right now. So if there needs to be restructuring, I'm not opposed to that," she said. "Again, though, much of that often sounds to me pretextual for actually shutting down their ability to do their jobs, which I'm opposed to."
..... Katie Sobko covers the New Jersey Statehouse. Email: Sobko@northjersey.com