Gov. Christie withdraws pick for head of N.J. Division of Consumer Affairs due to N.Y. residency

TRENTON — Still annoyed by former Division of Consumer Affairs Director David Szuchman’s delay in moving to New Jersey, key Senate Democrats say they won’t vote for Gov. Chris Christie’s new nominee to head the division until he trades his Manhattan digs in for a place in the Garden State. The governor today withdrew the nomination of Thomas Calcagni,...

Ed Murray/The Star-LedgerTom Calcagni.TRENTON — Still annoyed by former Division of Consumer Affairs Director David Szuchman’s delay in moving to New Jersey, key Senate Democrats say they won’t vote for Gov. Chris Christie’s new nominee to head the division until he trades his Manhattan digs in for a place in the Garden State.

The governor today withdrew the nomination of Thomas Calcagni, a 38-year-old former assistant U.S. attorney in New Jersey who worked for him when Christie was U.S. Attorney. But Calcagni, who started as acting director last week, does not plan to step down, said Paul Loriquet, spokesman for the Department of Law and Public Safety.

“I think if his name came up in Judiciary he would have been knocked out,” said state Sen. Ray Lesniak (D-Union), who sits on the Senate Judiciary Committee and tried unsuccessfully to block Szuchman’s nomination in 2008. The committee vets the governor’s nominees before deciding whether they get a confirmation vote in the full Senate.

Lesniak was upset Szuchman did not move to New Jersey until about a year after telling the committee that he planned to.

“This guy ... is taking some of the heat for the way Szuchman deceived the Judiciary Committee,” said Lesniak.

Senate Judiciary Committee Chairman Nicholas Scutari (D-Union) said officials from the governor’s office told him Christie plans to renominate Calcagni once he moves to New Jersey. The governor’s office did not return calls for comment today.

Scutari said even if Calcagni moves to New Jersey and is nominated again, Senate Democrats plan tough questioning.

“We have 60,000 to 80,000 lawyers in New Jersey available for that position that might have more of an expertise in that area of consumer affairs or advocacy,” said Scutari. “I don’t think just being an assistant U.S. attorney qualifies for you for any job in state government.”

The committee has approved several out-of-state Christie nominees, including state Treasurer Andrew Sidamon-Eristoff, also of Manhattan.