Q&A: Senator Andy Kim on machine politics, distrust in government and the fight over New Jersey’s top watchdog

Democratic U.S. Sen. Andy Kim stunned Trenton lawmakers this week when he showed up to testify against a bill that would gut the State Comptroller’s Office, New Jersey’s top corruption watchdog. The bill is backed by political insiders like Senate President Nicholas Scutari, a powerful Democrat from Union County.

A state Senate committee chaired by Sen. Jim Beach of Camden County ignored Kim for five hours and then cut off his testimony after three minutes, amid an uproar from dozens of people who came out to protest the legislation.

Kim was elected last year after successfully suing to end the state’s notorious county-line primary election system. In an interview with The Jersey Vindicator, Kim says New Jersey can no longer afford corrupt politicians:

Q: Why did you feel it was so important to testify?

Sen. Kim: Right now, we are having a crisis of confidence. Americans are losing trust and faith in their politics and their government. Polls show 84% of people in New Jersey believe that their elected officials are corrupt. They don’t feel like government is working for them. They think it’s just this exclusive club, and they’re not invited. Democracy cannot continue to proceed if there’s that much distrust. We had an actual, real primary this year. Look what happened, the largest turnout for a primary in — forever. People were engaged — 3.3 million people showed up to vote. And then the first thing afterward, the state Legislature tries to gut our anti-corruption watchdog. People are like, “Oh, it’s just the same old same old again.” That’s why it was important for me to testify.

Q: During the hearing, you appeared genuinely shocked when Chairman James Beach confronted you with the question “Why are you special?” What were you thinking?

Sen. Kim: I never asked them [the committee] to testify first. I showed up at 9 o’clock. I showed up an hour early for a 10 o’clock hearing. I was the first person to submit a request. My name was on the top of the list. I wasn’t asking for special treatment, but it was the chairman that treated me special. You know, he was the one that actually held me to the very end. So the chairman did end up giving me special treatment, that didn’t favor me of course. He treated me unlike he treated other people in the room that day.

Q: To many, your rude reception from the committee seemed to mirror the Trump administration’s treatment of critics. Is the disregard for norms and transparency in D.C. trickling down to Trenton?

Sen. Kim: Well, when I was trying to testify, and the chairman cut off my mic, someone in the audience said something to the effect of “I yielded to the senator my time.” The chairman looked at that person, a person who is a constituent, a resident of New Jersey, and just said, “I don’t care about you.” I can never imagine looking at someone who is a constituent of mine, regardless of their political view, and say “I don’t care about you.” That is the kind of language that I hear coming from the Trump administration, from [Homeland Security Adviser] Stephen Miller. It was unsettling to hear that kind of talk back home in New Jersey and frankly, from a member of my political party.

Q: Why are we seeing this trend?

Sen. Kim: Some people in power, it doesn’t matter which political party they’re in, can get to a point where they don’t feel like they are accountable to the people anymore. Is it because of what Trump is doing in terms of trying to consolidate power? Or is it about the machine politics of New Jersey? I don’t know. This was the problem with the county line system: Elected officials felt more beholden to the party bosses than the people. Some people in Jersey politics got too accustomed to that. Now they realize that’s all changing.

Q: What do you mean when you talk about “a new era” for New Jersey?

Sen. Kim: With the county line gone, [incumbents] have to run real campaigns. I feel there’s now this new energy surging up. The grassroots, the people, feel more empowered now. That’s a good thing. And I felt that in the room. What I saw at the hearing was the old, broken politics of New Jersey trying to hold on.

Q: In recent years, critics say, the “old politics” you speak of has effectively gutted the state’s Election Law Enforcement Commission and reform laws like the New Jersey Open Public Records Act. Do you think Gov.-elect Sherrill will hold up such anti-corruption measures?

Sen. Kim: Well, I’m hopeful. I’ve had extensive conversations with the governor-elect about these issues and why they’re so important to me and to so many others. So I’m hopeful that I’ll have a partner. She and I know each other very well. We came up into politics at the same time. We were sworn in together at Congress on the same day. It’s a challenge because we have to battle those who don’t want a new kind of politics. The governor’s going to have to deal with them on a daily basis in ways that I won’t have to in Washington.

Q: Will we see you back testifying in Trenton anytime soon?

Sen. Kim: I’ll just say that I am going to continue to play a very strong role at the state level, even at the local level, in fighting against corruption and changing our politics. This is something that I’m going to continue to push on for as long as I am doing public service.

Q: On another topic, should Defense Secretary Pete Hegeth resign?

Sen. Kim: I didn’t think he should ever have gotten the job to start with. He clearly did not have the expertise or the temperament to be secretary of defense, and Signalgate made that even more clear. I want him in front of Congress. I wouldn’t be satisfied with him just resigning. I want answers. I want him to explain to the American people what he has unleashed upon our military and the dangers he’s putting our service men and women into, and the laws that he is breaking. You know, I’ve worked on tough issues of terrorism. When I was in Afghanistan, no one there asked me if I was a Democrat or a Republican, we were just serving the country.

Q: Have you seen any signs of a Republican plan on health care as we approach Jan. 1 and higher insurance premiums?

Sen. Kim: No.

Q: Anything else, Senator?

Sen. Kim: Just one more thing. We’re talking about these problems of corruption. That’s the reason we’re paying more for our health care. That’s the reason why we are not having the kind of public transit and housing that we need. They’re [Jersey lawmakers] taking up valuable bandwidth to debate this issue about gutting the comptroller’s office. They should have been using that time to talk about things like what they can do to lower health care costs. The people of New Jersey are paying a corruption tax. We’re paying more because these interests out there are trying to take our taxpayer dollars. Corruption affects our lives.