New Jersey Governor Phil Murphy has spent nearly $13,000 of taxpayer money (mostly to install a new door), so his wife can have a lovely office nearby.
The money converted a conference room down the hall from the governor’s office into a private office for the first lady. So far, Murphy has spent $27,000 on refurbishing and remodeling his offices.
Murphy defended his spending in an email statement that was forwarded to reporters by his spokesman.
“She has a prominent seat at the table for policy discussions,” Murphy wrote. “She has certainly become a driving force on the issues that matter most to her — particularly on environmental issues and our plans for transitioning to a clean-energy economy, an area where she has a wealth of valuable insight.”
Even Democrats in the state legislature are beginning to complain that Murphy has not been explicit about his wife’s role in the administration.
“I would love to work with her in any capacity,” said state Assembly Majority Leader Lou Greenwald, D-Camden. “But in order for it to be effective, my humble recommendation would be for the front office to give her a title and a specific area of interest to it so that we in the Legislature — as a co-equal branch of government — would know how to engage and in what capacity.”
Such an arrangement brings to mind the partnership between Bill and Hillary Clinton when he was president. Hillary was an unofficial advisor who took charge of a disastrous attempt to reform healthcare.
Murphy has pledged to turn New Jersey into a “progressive blue beacon.” He promised a $15 minimum wage, a state-run bank, legalized marijuana, and free community college. His budget calls for $1.5 billion in tax increases. However, his legislative agenda has stalled due to disagreements with fellow Democrats.
AAN Staff
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