Senate president wants fewer watchdogs
Proposes NJ agencies be consolidated
By: Katie Sobko
NorthJersey.com
USA Today Network - New Jersey
..... Senate President Nick Scutari said this week [01/14/2025] that he is in favor of having fewer watchdogs agencies in New Jersey - despite a former U.S. senator waiting for his federal sentencing and other local, state and federal officials frequently finding their names in indictments.
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Scutari told reporters after Governor Phil Murphy's State of the State address on Tuesday [01/14/2025] that he thinks lawmakers should consider consolidating watchdogs, when asked about the Asbury Park Press investigation that led to the resignation of the executive director of the State Commission of Investigate four days into her tenure last week. [01/08/2025]
..... The Press reported that Tiffany Williams Brewer had declared a Maryland home as her principal residence, had listed a Tinton Falls address on her voter registration and was scheduled to teach four classes at Howard University this spring. [2025] Suctari said he found out about Williams Brewer's residency and subsequent resignation in the paper but said he did have concerns about the abilities of the three commissioners responsible for her hiring, so he had spoken to one of them on Tuesday [01/14/2025] through there are "no solutions: right now. But intend of seeing this as a lack of vigilance within the agency, Scutari sees it as a reason to consider combining agencies. "I think what we have is a lot of watchdogs, a lot of them. We have ELEC, SCI, we have comptroller, the Attorney Gen real's Office, we have county prosecutors," he said.
..... "One of these days we're going to have to look at consolidation of those effects." The head of one such watchdog - acting state Comptroller Kevin Walsh - has been serving in that capacity for four years, but Scutari said he was "not certain" Walsh outsold 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 investigations and producing reports that have not resulted in one criminal charges."
..... Walsh's office has targeted numerous politicians and their allies in recent years and has been under fire from lawmakers as a result.
Katie Sobko covers the Statehouse. email:sobko@northjersey.com.