Now that he’s been exposed spending nearly $12,000 from his official expense account on food and drinks at MetLife Stadium events, such as a Taylor Swift concert, Democrat New Jersey Gov. Phil Murphy is asking his party to reimburse taxpayers.
Public records for 2018-19 obtained by POLITICO show that Gov. Murphy bought $11,847 of food and drinks at various events at the New Jersey stadium:
- $936 for snacks at a 2018 Taylor Swift concert.
- $2,095 at a soccer game in 2018.
- $2,068 at a New York Jets football game in 2018.
- $1,413 at the Hot 97’s Summer Jam in 2019.
- $2,856 at a soccer game in 2019.
- $2,479 at a New York Jets football game in 2019.
At the 2019 New York Jets game, for example, Murphy bought $90 of Aquafina bottled water and $45 of extra guacamole.
When POLITICO contacted the governor’s office, a spokesperson said that Murphy had expected the Democratic State Committee to pay for the food and drinks and, when it didn’t, the bills were paid out of the governor’s taxpayer-funded expense account.
But, as POLITICO explains, Murphy is barred from using the expense account to pay for such items:
“Budget language says the governor’s expense account is for ‘Official Receptions, Official Residence, and Other Official Expenses.’ The expense account is barred from being used for ‘personal purposes’ and it cannot supplement the governor’s annual $175,000 salary.”
Exposed, Gov. Murphy is now asking the state Democrat Party – which says it had no knowledge of the improper expenditures and is looking into the matter – to reimburse taxpayers.