Sweeney: No hearings for Christie Supreme Court pick

Senate President Stephen Sweeney said Tuesday that Democrats would not hold a hearing for Gov. Christie's pick to fill a vacancy on the New Jersey Supreme Court, arguing it would break precedent by driving the court too far to the right.

"The only way I will consider a Christie nominee is if the governor preserves judicial independence by submitting a Democrat for the Court," Sweeney (D., Gloucester) said in a statement, a day after Christie nominated Judge David Bauman of Monmouth County.

"For the past six years I fought to protect the long-standing tradition of keeping political balance on New Jersey's Supreme Court and I will continue that fight," Sweeney said. "This nomination would contradict the intent of the framers of the Constitution by leaving only two Democrats on the seven member court."

Bauman, 59, is assigned to the criminal division in Monmouth County and, Christie noted Monday, was unanimously confirmed by the Senate for tenure as a Superior Court judge.

Bauman was first nominated in 2008 by Gov. Jon S. Corzine, a Democrat.

If Bauman were confirmed, the Supreme Court would include four Republicans, two Democrats, and one independent. This would preserve "the tradition of partisan balance" on the court, the governor said.

Sweeney flatly disagreed, saying the Christie court would "end the 70-year tradition of partisan balance and judicial independence" dating back to the 1947 constitution.

Sweeney said that while he was seeking to fight for the "needs and priorities of New Jersey's low-income and middle-class families," Christie "has chosen to focus on his personal ambitions by engaging in political games in a misguided attempt to build up his new allegiance with Donald Trump."

Christie, who dropped out of the GOP presidential race after a poor performance in New Hampshire's primary last month, endorsed Trump, the controversial New York billionaire, on Friday.

Christie is "treating his responsibilities as governor as a continued job interview with the Republican Party in Washington," Sweeney said.