NJ Senator Yanks Controversial Bill To Muzzle State Comptroller

By Dana DiFilippo, New Jersey Monitor

December 15, 2025

The New Jersey lawmaker who wanted to strip the state comptroller’s office of its investigative powers will no longer pursue his bill, caving to critics who warned the move would cripple a key state watchdog and embolden corrupt public officials.

The bill by Sen. Nicholas Scutari (D-Union) would have eliminated the comptroller’s duty to investigate complaints of governmental waste, fraud, and abuse flagged by members of the public and stripped the comptroller of some investigatory tools, including subpoenas. Scutari told the New Jersey Globe he’s not moving forward with the bill “right now.”

Acting Comptroller Kevin Walsh, who had called the bill a scam, responded on social media by thanking activists “who showed up to fight for government oversight, transparency, and accountability!” Walsh said the bill was payback for his investigations of state Democrats and other Scutari allies.

As Senate president, Scutari is the state’s most powerful state legislator and largely controls what moves in the Senate. He introduced his bill just before Thanksgiving and fast-tracked it to a hearing just a week later. The Senate state government committee’s five members passed it unanimously despite more than four hours of testimony largely opposing the measure.

Scutari argued that his bill would have merely moved investigatory powers to a different state agency that would have been better equipped to handle serious probes.

The bill’s critics included U.S. Sen Andy Kim (D) and Attorney General Matt Platkin, who testified against it in front of the committee last week. Both men sparred with the committee chair, state Sen. James Beach (D-Camden), who chastised Kim when Kim noted that he had spent nearly six hours at the Statehouse waiting to testify.

“Why do you think you’re special? You’re not,” Beach told him.

Tuesday, Kim said the bill would have severely weakened the comptroller’s oversight power, further damaging the public’s trust in state government.

“This is a win for the people of New Jersey and a signal of the power of a growing anti-corruption movement throughout our state and this country,” Kim said in a statement. “As I’ve said before, the opposite of democracy is apathy. Do not feel helpless about fixing our broken politics. It isn’t just possible, it’s necessary. Now let’s get ready for the next fights.”

New Jersey Monitor, the Garden State’s newest news site, provides fair and tough reporting on the issues affecting New Jersey, from political corruption to education to criminal and social justice. The Monitor is part of States Newsroom, a national 501(c)(3) nonprofit supported by grants and a coalition of donors and readers.