New Jersey Governor Phil Murphy is a Swiftie. According to a report from a few weeks ago, Phil Murphy is such a big fan of Taylor Swift’s music that he would spend more than $10,000 of taxpayer money on a party to attend one of her concerts.
Murphy’s revelation has drawn criticism, not only because of his questionable music taste but also because New Jerseyans paid for him and his friends to rock out with “Shake It Off.”
New Jersey Gov. Phil Murphy spent nearly $12,000 on food and drink at MetLife Stadium, including a Taylor Swift concert as well as a hip-hop festival. This was according to records obtained by POLITICO.
After being questioned by the media about the cost justification, the Governor’s Office has now asked the Democratic Party of the State to reimburse the taxpayers.
Murphy’s office explained that the Democratic State Committee had originally been supposed to pay for the stadium costs, but did not do so. Murphy was allegedly forced to pay the bill with a $95,000 annual expense account. Murphy could have had another problem if he used this account to buy tickets for a Taylor Swift show.
The budget language states that the Governor’s expense account can only be used for official receptions, official residence, and other official expenses. It cannot be used for personal purposes and it is not allowed to supplement the Governor’s $175,000 annual salary.
Records show that Gov. Murphy’s office also used the account to pay for other expenses that were questionable, such as $936 for another Taylor Swift concert held in 2018 and $2.856 for a USA vs Mexico Soccer match played in 2019.
Phil Swibinski said that the New Jersey Democratic State Committee “had no idea” about these outstanding bills because they were older than the current leadership.
Murphy appears to have used taxpayer money for parties at Taylor Swift concerts, and other events. He only announced that the Democratic Party would reimburse the state after being caught by reporters. The people in charge of New Jersey’s state government should learn what “oversight”, “accountability”, and other words mean. The crux of this issue is found in that statement.
Murphy may not have reimbursed New Jersey if he had never been called out on using taxpayer funds for personal expenses. This means that New Jersey has taken money from its hardworking citizens so that Murphy can listen to Taylor Swift sing, “We Are Never Ever Getting Back Together”, in person.
It is no surprise that politicians would take advantage of their positions to get various perks with taxpayers’ money. Murphy’s inability to be held accountable for his actions is a good indication of why this happens. The state government will not punish the governor. He will probably not even be punished by the voters. When voters refuse to take action to ensure that they don’t abuse their position, our “leaders” are always able to get away with it.
