New Direction Is Now Essentially an NJEA Super PAC with Gov. Murphy as Spokesman

Sunlight admits that this is not new news, but because it was released on Christmas Eve-eve, we missed it.  But we found the InsiderNJ press release that reveals that Super PAC New Direction New Jersey (NDNJ) is now almost entirely funded by the NJEA.  That’s right, from late 2019 to late 2020, the NJEA pumped $6,000,000 into NDNJ – a WHOPPING 92% of NDNJ’s funding.

Teachers take note: This makes a grand total of $10,500,000 of teachers’ dues transferred to NDNJ.  That’s $84 from each full-time teacher.

NJ citizens take note: Recall that NDNJ has been a self-described “driving force” behind the NJEA’s and Gov. Murphy’s shared agenda, including the millionaire’s tax.  Recall also that Murphy has unabashedly appeared as the spokesman in NDNJ’s ads and solicited funds for NDNJ.  Now that NDNJ is essentially a wholly-owned subsidiary of the NJEA, Murphy’s conflict of interest looks even worse.

Make no mistake about it: the NJEA was “all in” for Murphy’s 2017 election and has already endorsed him for re-election this year.  In return, Murphy has just delivered “arguably the most pro-public eduction state budget in history,” according the NJEA Secretary-Treasurer Steve Beatty.

This is called government by and for the special interests.  All paid for by teachers’ highest-in-the-nation dues and your tax dollars.  What a scam.  

Note: Sunlight gives NDNJ credit for disclosing its donors.  It promised to do so and has done so.  As a 501(c)(4), NDNJ can engage in political advocacy without disclosing its donors – the so-called “dark money” Super PACs – but NDNJ cannot rightfully be called dark money, so Sunlight will cease to do so.