Senate President Nicholas Scutari (D-Union) appears to be fast-tracking a bill that would strip key investigative powers away from the Office of the State Comptroller and transfer them to the State Commission of Investigation.
Supporters have said Scutari’s measure would consolidate overlapping responsibilities, but critics call it a dangerous move that would weaken oversight and efforts to fight corruption. Some have argued that acting State Comptroller Kevin Walsh has taken on powerful political and business figures, leading to frustration and complaints from some of the people he’s investigated.
Just in: NJ “transparency” at its worst. Sen. Scutari sneaks in a bill before Thanksgiving to kill OSC investigations. A vote for this bill is a vote for corruption. https://t.co/NLySBH5kje
— Kevin Walsh (@NJComptroller) November 26, 2025
If approved and signed into law, investigations into the state’s public contracting and Medicaid spending would still be left to the comptroller, but with weakened authority. A Senate committee is scheduled to take up the bill on Monday.
