The Republican members of the Senate Budget and Appropriations Committee have issued statements urging Governor Murphy to disclose the full details of his allocation of a $6.2 billion Federal COVID grant received in May 2021. The Republicans are questioning the transparency and accountability of the spending decisions made by the Governor.
Governor Murphy was granted unilateral authority by the Democrat Majority to allocate $600 million from the grant without public oversight. In a recent budget, he was given further leeway to cancel previously funded projects and redirect funds as needed to meet a federal deadline on December 31, 2024.
Senator Declan O’Scanlon, Republican Budget Officer, expressed concerns: “We have repeatedly asked the Governor to explain how he proposed to use his unilateral spending authority so the public could vet his proposals and provide suggestions for improvement. Instead, he secretly spent the money and refused to explain his final decisions. It raises serious red flags about whether COVID funds have been used responsibly and fairly.”
Senator Michael Testa criticized some of the expenditures: “While Republicans were calling for more of this aid to help small businesses destroyed by the Governor’s forced closures three years ago, the Governor was quietly shoveling money out the door. He gave $4,000 cash payments to undocumented immigrants and criminals who were let out of prison early, bought new SUVs for himself and his cabinet members, and created a whole new bureaucracy to force apartment buildings to accept criminals as tenants. That’s just what we know about, and he is hiding several hundred million more of unchecked spending.”
Senator Steinhardt highlighted issues with education funding: “Hundreds of schools across the State had their aid slashed while Republicans called for the federal grants to prevent school reductions during a time of crisis. Instead, the Governor designated federal funding for the Pompidou Arts Museum in Jersey City and other frivolous projects. Let’s hope this time we don’t learn his latest spending binge hasn’t been more of the same.”
Senator Amato emphasized public interest: “The public has a right to know how the Governor spent hundreds of millions of dollars of federal grants while schools and municipalities had their aid cut and property taxpayers had to pick up the slack or lose important services.”
