Sen. Andy Kim criticizes New Jersey legislators’ push to curb state watchdog powers on CNN

Transcript of Jake Tapper interview with Sen. Andy Kim about bill to defang New Jersey Comptroller

Jake Tapper: The issue that led to this contentious moment with a sitting U.S.

Video clip of Monday’s hearing

State Senator James Beach: (After Senator Andy Kim speaks three minutes) Please conclude.

U.S. Senator Andy Kim:  Sir, I have been here for five and a half hours. I am missing votes at the Capitol.

State Senator James Beach: So what? So is everyone else.

U.S. Senator Andy Kim: Give me 30 seconds.

State Senator James Beach: Why do you think you’re special? You’re not. 

U.S. Senator Andy Kim: Well what happened was you gave Mr. Keller special privileges here.

Jake Tapper (live): What was that about? The Senator, Democrat Andy Kim of New Jersey, is going to join us here in the studio next to talk about it…In our politics lead, a less-than-warm reception at the New Jersey State Capitol of Trenton for a sitting U.S. Senator. Democratic Senator Andy Kim was there Monday to testify against a controversial bill that critics say would gut the powers of the New Jersey Comptroller’s Office. The Comptroller investigates misconduct by state leaders and government officials. According to the New York Times, Senator Kim was among the first three people who requested to speak at the hearing that day, but was instead called to testify dead last. 

Back to the video clip of Kim speaking at the Monday hearing

U.S. Senator Andy Kim: The people of New Jersey are sick and tired of this.

State Senator James Beach: That’s three minutes, so please conclude. 

State Senator James Beach: He came at my request.

U.S. Senator Andy Kim: Oh, okay, I see, so there is someone that is special. 

Jake Tapper (live): Joining us now to discuss this is Democratic Senator Andy Kim. Okay, first of all, let me acknowledge my bias right now. As a Philadelphian, I automatically think that New Jersey has dirty politics, right? Well, your guys are across the river, and Trenton sometimes is a sewer. You went there to testify against the changes that they were going to try to make, which would make it easier for politicians to be corrupt. And that was a fellow Democrat that was being rude to you. So tell me, first of all, why did you feel it was important to go there and testify? 

U.S. Senator Andy Kim: Well, look, right now, 84% of people in New Jersey surveyed have a similar opinion to you. They believe that their elected officials are corrupt. You know, we have a reputation of being the Soprano State for a reason. And look, I’m in the U.S. Senate by virtue of the fact that a predecessor of mine was indicted and convicted of corruption and bribery. So, look, I’ll be honest with you. What I said there, I’m sick and tired of it, you know, and I just can’t stand it. And what I also say is, how can I be down here at the United States Capitol railing against the lawlessness of the Trump administration with any credibility if my own party, my own home state, is taking steps that I consider to be corrupt, steps that I think are moving our democracy in the wrong direction”? It’s important showing that you stand up against corruption in all forms.

Jake Tapper: So the bill would strip key investigative powers from this watchdog agency. It passed out of committee unanimously, and the Democrats control the legislature, right? It comes as the current comptroller’s aggressive approach to corruption has angered officials, many of whom in New Jersey are your fellow Democrats. So what does this legislation say about the state of politics in New Jersey? 

U.S. Senator Andy Kim: Well, it’s not just about the state of politics in New Jersey, but in the country. I mean, I think that we see a collision. What happened in that hearing is a collision between the old politics, the machine politics, that these people who think that they are not beholden to the voters. Instead, you know, they just think about it as an exclusive club for the well-off and the well-connected. And then this new energy that I’m excited about, this anti-corruption movement that we’re trying to build in New Jersey and across this country that is standing up and saying, no, enough of this. We’re tired of the status quo. We’re tired of the same old, same old broken politics. We demand politics based off of transparency and accountability. And look, we’re making progress in New Jersey. You know, we were able to defeat a ballot issue called the county line that entrenched this machine power. And I think the anger that you saw from that gentleman, I mean, he is someone who is the head of the Democratic Party in the county that tried to stop me from making those changes. You could tell his anger towards me. It shows that he thinks that their power is slipping away, and it’s true. And I think that this is exactly what the American people need to see, is a change in this politics because it’s not just about corruption. It’s that this affects what you pay at the grocery store. It affects how much you pay in your health care and your housing costs. I call it this corruption tax. As these politicians are taking in money for themselves and their special interests and their buddies and corporations, we have to pay the cost.

Jake Tapper: What’s the next step for the legislation? You have a Democratic governor right now, Phil Murphy. Mikie Sherrill, your former colleague in Congress, she was just elected governor. Have Murphy or Sherrill said if they’re going to sign this legislation that would make it easier to be a corrupt politician in New Jersey?

U.S. Senator Andy Kim: Well, right now we’re trying to still kill this in the legislature. I still think there is a possibility, and I frankly think that hearing and just the absurdity of it all is helping, because I’m getting a number of calls from state senators and legislators saying that they were appalled by what happened and that they don’t support the legislation. So I’m calling on them to kill this legislation. If it does move forward, I hope that our governor does stop it, but right now I’m trying to focus in on the legislature. 

Jake Tapper: But neither Murphy nor Sherrill has said they will stop it, right?

U.S. Senator Andy Kim: Neither of them addressed this legislation directly. I have had conversations with Governor-elect Mikie Sherrill about the importance of accountability and transparency in fighting corruption. She’s made some statements about it, and I hope that she’ll be a good partner in this fight.

Jake Tapper: Democratic Senator Andy Kim of New Jersey, thank you so much.