Christie: Democrats should do their 'damn job'

TRENTON -- Gov. Chris Christie said Monday it's about time Democratic lawmakers do their "damn job" and stop playing games over political appointments.

The governor expressed his outrage when asked about the status of appointments to the Election Law Enforcement Commission, the watchdog group that regulates campaign financing of all elections in the state. But ELEC has essentially been stripped of its power to punish offenders since there's three vacancies on its four-member board.

The group hasn't held a meeting in about five months.

But Christie refuses to take the "rap" for the agency being left powerless since he's made his recommendation and it's now up to Senate President Stephen Sweeney (D-Gloucester) to propose an appointment.

"The way the Senate confirmation process has worked for seven years. It's an abomination," Christie said.

"I've got to beg to get cabinet members confirmed," he said. "It's absurd."

Christie added: "They all the time stress to me how they are a co-equal branch of government. Well, then do your damn job."

State law requires the commission to have four members -- two from each political party -- appointed by the governor and approved by the state Senate. But there is only one remaining board member: Ronald DeFilippis, the chairman, who is a Republican.

Last year, Christie nominated Eric Jaso to the position but Senate lawmakers have yet to give him a hearing. The governor plans to renominate him when the Senate returns.

"This is not very complicated, ok? I'm trying to be be practical here," Christie said. during a Statehouse news conference.

NJ Gov. Chris Christie.

"I've gone to the Senate president and said, 'Give me two names of people that you will confirm' and, we're going to do our independent vetting of those people, and if they vet out as qualified and don't have other problems, then I'll nominate those two people and then they'll get on," he said. "This is up to the Senate president now and it has been, these Democratic openings have been there forever. I nominated Jaso more than a year ago."

A spokesman for Sweeney's office, Luke Margolis, didn't respond to a request for comment.

Earlier in the month, he told The Record:"We are currently reviewing the resumes of Democratic candidates so that we can submit names to the governor for his consideration."

But the backlog didn't sprout overnight.

One Democratic slot has been vacant for five years, after Lawrence Weiss, a Superior Court judge, died in November 2011. The other Democrat on the board, Walter Timpone, resigned after Christie nominated him to the New Jersey Supreme Court.

"I do not and have not gotten the respect that this office deserves on nominations from this Senate," Christie said. "They have played politics from minute one.

"It is unprecedented for a governor's cabinet members not to be confirmed."

The governor waged a years' long battle with the Senate to get his nominations to the Supreme Court filled. Christie ultimately capitulated when he nominated Timpone, a Democrat.

Matt Arco may be reached at marco@njadvancemedia.com. Follow him on Twitter @MatthewArco or on Facebook. Follow NJ.com Politics on Facebook.

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