Assemblyman Gordon Johnson (D-Bergen) on Thursday called Senator Kevin O’Toole’s attack on the Senate Judiciary Committee’s constitutional obligation to offer advise and consent on judicial nominations a tactical ploy meant to distract from the Governor’s own political agenda.
“The members of the Senate Judiciary Committee did the right thing by voting to preserve a well-balanced mix of the values and ideologies of the people of our state, not simply the Governor’s.
“The questioning of Mr. Kwon was conducted in a respectful manner regarding well-documented factual information.
“If anyone used Mr. Kwon as a ‘political weapon,’ as Senator O’Toole has suggested, it was the Governor, who has repeatedly made it clear that he will not rest until the ideology of the high court suits his liking.
“For Senator O’Toole to ignore this fact and instead lace his comments with undertones of racial discrimination, is insulting to the Democratic members of the Judiciary Committee and does a disservice to the Korean-American community by forging an unnecessary divide.”