Politico’s Matt Friedman has been doing some strong reporting over the past few days.  First, he covered the reports of NJEA Secretary-Treasurer Petal Robertson using “Pension Justice” to drum up teachers’ support for a gubernatorial run by NJEA President Sean Spiller.  Friedman’s attention and context add credibility to the tips both Sunlight and NJEdReport got from Montclair teachers who attended the event with Robertson.

Then Friedman added more context when he reported that his sources have told him that the NJEA’s early commencement of its endorsement process indicates that it is indeed gearing up for a gubernatorial run by Spiller. By inviting three already-announced Democratic candidates to interview for the NJEA’s endorsement at this very early stage, NJEA leadership appears to be clearing the way for a Spiller run.  By inviting other Democrats to interview, the NJEA can plausibly claim that it looked at other candidates before (inevitably) endorsing Spiller. We were not aware of this angle and see no reason to doubt Friedman’s reporting.

We would add that, as it looks increasingly likely that Spiller will run, this once again brings to bear Spiller’s massive conflict of interest.  We remind our readers that the main vehicle for NJEA leadership (including President Spiller) to support Spiller has been its Super PAC, Garden State Forward.  Indeed, Garden State Forward has already given $2 million to Spiller’s own Super PAC, Protecting Our Democracy.  Garden State Forward is funded by teachers’ regular dues, and yet NJEA leadership hides the existence of Garden State Forward from the very teachers’ who fund it.  Most teachers have no idea that Garden State Forward even exists, let alone that they are funding it.  Should Spiller run, we can expect that Garden State Forward will spend many millions more of teachers’ dues to support him — without their knowledge and therefore without their consent.  All to further Spiller’s personal political ambitions.  That’s another conflict of interest in a long line of Spiller’s conflicts of interest.

Moreover, should Spiller run, he would surely do so as a progressive Democrat.  But not all teachers are progressives or Democrats.  Many are independents or Republicans.  No doubt many teachers simply do not want their hard-earned money spent on politics, which is why so few choose to contribute to the NJEA’s traditional PAC, NJEA PAC.  So when NJEA leadership uses Garden State Forward to support a Spiller run, it will be forcing these teachers to support Spiller.  Which is most likely why NJEA leadership hides the existence of Garden State Forward: if teachers knew this was how their dues were being spent, they would not be happy.

It’s a rotten deal for teachers.