NJEA Website Adds a “Spiller for Governor” Section to Push Teachers to Become Campaign Organizers and Workers
September 17, 2024Sean Spiller Is Running for Governor but Is Still Under State Criminal Investigation. Is this the Kind of Candidate NJ Teachers Would Choose to Support with $43 Million of Their Dues?
October 4, 2024We were doing some research and came across this picture of a Zoom call where the NJEA endorsed Gov. Phil Murphy as the Democratic nominee for a second term. Unsurprisingly, Murphy and all of the top leadership of the NJEA were present. But then we noticed Attorney General Matt Platkin on the call, appearing right next to then-NJEA Vice President/current NJEA President/current Democratic candidate for governor Sean Spiller, and wondered what he was doing there. We thought it a little odd that the attorney general was the only other Murphy administration official on the call. This got us thinking about the purportedly on-going criminal investigation into Spiller’s alleged misuse of state health benefits as mayor of Montclair.
Below is a screenshot of a Zoom call. If you look closely, you can see Murphy at the far right in the second row from the bottom. Down in the bottom row, you can see Spiller. Right next to Spiller is New Jersey Attorney General Matt Platkin.
We think it’s safe to assume that Platkin is familiar with the top leaders of the NJEA, including Spiller. We can also assume that Platkin is well aware of the key role the NJEA played in Murphy’s election and re-election. Back in 2017, the NJEA was “all-in” for Murphy’s initial run, even creating a “Members4Murphy” group run by NJEA staffer Deb Cornavaca, who later became Murphy’s Deputy Chief of Staff. Sunlight had identified $18.4 million in contributions from the NJEA Super PAC, Garden State Forward, to pro-Murphy Super PACs (per IRS Forms 8872). Add in all the in-kind work from Members4Murphy and other NJEA efforts to boost Murphy, the total must approach $20 million. No other supporter of Murphy contributed as much as the NJEA.
Spiller was a senior NJEA officer for all these years of supporting Murphy. Indeed, Murphy has called Spiller a “dear friend” (per the Montclair Local).
All of which leads us to ask Platkin: Where is the investigation into Spiller’s alleged misuse of state health benefits? Will Spiller be held to the same legal standards as other New Jersey office-holders who also allegedly misused state health benefits?
And what of close Murphy associate, Essex County Commissioner Brendan Gill, who allegedly did the same thing? Gill managed Murphy’s 2017 campaign for governor and ran the pro-Murphy Super PAC, New Direction New Jersey, to which the NJEA contributed $10.5 million. Will Gill be held to the same standards?
Here are some facts:
- According to the AG’s office, Wildwood Mayor Pete Byron, Mayor Ernest Troiano, and City Commissioner Steve Mikulski were indicted by a grand jury for illegally availing themselves of full-time state health benefits because they were never full-time employees. All told, Troiano was paid $286,500; Byron $608,900; and Mikulski $103,000.
- Spiller similarly certified that he was a full-time employee and availed himself of $49,800 in benefits, according to the Montclair Local. It was precisely this issue that was at the heart of a whistleblower lawsuit naming Spiller. Per the Local, the AG’s office has subpoenaed Montclair Township for pay records and Spiller pleaded his 5th Amendment right against self-incrimination over 400 times while testifying in the whistleblower lawsuit.
- Essex County Commissioner Brendan Gill has also been implicated in similar health benefits abuse. The Star-Ledger reported that Gill availed himself of the same state benefits coverage — with the same full-time work requirements — as the three Wildwood officials and Spiller. All told, Gill received $223,257.
Platkin has promised to prosecute the three Wildwood officials “to the fullest extent of the law.” What can we expect for Murphy’s pals Spiller and Gill?
Importantly, Spiller is running for the Democratic nomination in the 2025 governor’s race. Will New Jersey voters get the full story from Attorney General Platkin? Will New Jersey teachers get the full story before they spend millions more of their hard-earned dues backing Spiller?