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NJ Gov. Murphy spent $12,000 on stadium events, Taylor Swift concert

Nov 01, 2023

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Records show that in his first term, New Jersey Gov. Phil Murphy spent nearly $12,000 of taxpayer money on food and drinks at MetLife stadium events, including a 2018 Taylor Swift concert and a music festival. After being asked about taxpayers picking up his bill at the New Jersey stadium, Murphy, a Democrat, told Politico that his office is asking the state Democratic Party to reimburse taxpayers.

Murphy’s office added that it thought the Democratic State Committee would be footing the bill. When the committee didn’t, Murphy’s office said he paid for the expenses using his $95,000 annual expense account. The account is designated for “official receptions, official residence, and other official expenses.”

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In total, public records obtained by Politico show in 2018 and 2019, the governor racked up a bill at MetLife stadium totaling $11,847, which included:

  • $936 at a July 2018 Taylor Swift concert.
  • $2,095 at a September 2018 USA vs. Brazil soccer game.
  • $2,068 at a November 2018 Jets football game.
  • $1,413 at the June 2019 Hot 97’s Summer Jam music festival.
  • $2,856 at a September 2019 USA vs. Mexico soccer game.
  • $2,479 at an October 2019 Jets football game.

At the Jets football game against the New England Patriots in 2019, records show an invoice for $90 in bottled water alone. The records do not show who was in attendance with the governor or the purpose of attending the events.

Gov. Murphy isn’t alone in spending taxpayer funds at MetLife Stadium; his Republican predecessor, Chris Christie, spent more than $82,000 in concessions at MetLife Stadium during the 2011-2012 NFL season when he was governor of New Jersey.

At the time, Christie’s spending scandal was picked up and reported on by dozens of news outlets, and late night talk shows.

​​According to the Straight Arrow News Media Miss™ tool, this story is a Media Miss for the left. The Media Landscape indicates that while right-leaning outlets are covering this story, fewer left-leaning outlets are reporting on the topic.

A spokesperson at the New Jersey Democratic State Committee told Politico that the Party did not know of the invoices as they came before new leadership took over. The spokesperson added that the Party is looking into the situation to see if further action needs to be taken.

Records show that since taking office, Murphy’s expense account has been primarily used for receptions, official state gifts, and renovations at his mansion.

Records also show that between 2019 and 2022, Murphy returned more than $25,000 that went unused from the expense account to the state.

Straight Arrow News strives to provide unbiased, fact-based news in addition to offering a comprehensive look at how the media is covering stories that matter most. Learn more about the Media Miss™ tool and decide for yourself.

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SEEING TAYLOR SWIFT IN CONCERT IS EXPENSIVE AS IT IS…DIE-HARD FANS – WHO COULD AFFORD IT – PAID SEVENTY TIMES*** FACE VALUE TO SEE THE STAR ON HER SUMMER STADIUM TOUR… THE OUTRAGE SPARKED CONGRESSIONAL HEARINGS AND BILLS AT STATE LEVELS TO PROTECT CONSUMERS…

NOW… RECORDS SHOW THAT IN HIS FIRST TERM AS NEW JERSEY’S GOVERNOR – PHIL MURPHY SPENT NEARLY TWELVE-THOUSAND DOLLARS OF TAX-PAYER MONEY ON FOOD AND DRINKS AT METLIFE STADIUM EVENTS – INCLUDING A TAYLOR SWIFT CONCERT AND MUSIC FESTIVAL..

THIS STORY IS NOT BEING COVERED BY ALL MEDIA…

THE STRAIGHT ARROW NEWS MEDIA MISS TOOL SHOWS THE MAJORITY OF OUTLETS COVERING IT ARE RIGHT-LEANING

LEFT-LEANING NEWS OUTLETS ARE UNDER-REPORTING THE THE GOVERNOR’S SPENDING OF TAX-PAYER DOLLARS ON ENTERTAINMENT EVENTS.- OUR REAL-TIME MEDIA MISS TOOL SPOTLIGHTS WHICH STORIES RIGHT-LEANING AND LEFT-LEANING OUTLETS AREN’T COVERING SO YOU GET A COMPLETE PICTURE OF THE NEWS. THIS IS HOW THE NEWS SHOULD BE… FAIR, FACTUAL AND UNBIASED.

AFTER BEING ASKED ABOUT TAXPAYERS PICKING UP HIS BILL AT THE NEW JERSEY STADIUM – GOVERNOR MURPHY A DEMOCRAT – TOLD POLITICO THAT HIS OFFICE IS ASKING THE STATE DEMOCRATIC PARTY TO REIMBURSE TAXPAYERS…

ADDING THAT HE THOUGHT THE DEMOCRATIC STATE COMMITTEE WAS FOOTING THE BILL.. WHEN THE COMMITTEE DIDNT – MURPHY’S OFFICE SAID HE PAID FOR THE EXPENSES USING HIS NINETY-FIVE-THOUSAND-DOLLAR ANNUAL EXPENSE ACCOUNT..

WHICH IS DESIGNATED FOR QUOTE: “OFFICIAL RECEPTIONS, OFFICIAL RESIDENCE, AND OTHER OFFICIAL EXPENSES.”

IN TOTAL PUBLIC RECORDS SHOW – IN 20-18 AND 20-19 THE GOVERNOR RACKED UP A BILL AT METLIFE STADIUM TOTALING 11-THOUSAND-8-HUNDRED-AND-FORTY-SEVEN DOLLARS WHICH INCLUDED.

9-HUNDRED AND THIRTY-SIX DOLLARS WORTH OF SNACKS AT A 2018 TAYLOR SWIFT CONCERT

2-THOUSAND AND NINETY-FIVE  DOLLARS AT A SOCCER GAME

2-THOUSAND AND SIXTY-EIGHT DOLLARS AT A JETS FOOTBALL GAME

14-HUNDRED DOLLARS AT A HIP-HOP MUSIC FESTIVAL

NEARLY 3-THOUSAND DOLLARS AT A USA VERSUS MEXICO SOCCER GAME

AND 24-HUNDRED DOLLARS AT ANOTHER JETS FOOTBALL GAME WHERE RECORDS SHOW AN INVOICE FOR NINETY-DOLLARS IN BOTTLED WATER ALONE…

THE RECORDS DO NOT SHOW WHO WAS IN ATTENDANCE WITH THE GOVERNOR OR THE PURPOSE OF ATTENDING THE EVENTS…

A SPOKESPERSON AT THE NEW JERSEY DEMOCRATIC STATE COMMITTEE TELLING POLITICO THAT THE PARTY DID NOT KNOW OF THE INVOICES AS THEY CAME BEFORE NEW LEADERSHIP TOOK OVER – AND ADDED THAT THE PARTY IS LOOKING INTO THE SITUATION TO SEE IF FURTHER ACTION NEEDS TO BE TAKEN..

RECORDS SHOW THAT SINCE TAKING OFFICE, GOVERNOR MURPHY’S EXPENSE ACCOUNT HAS BEEN PRIMARILY USED FOR RECEPTIONS AT HIS MANSION, OFFICIAL STATE GIFTS, AND RENOVATIONS AT HIS MANSION..

RECORDS ALSO SHOW THAT BETWEEN 20-19 AND 20-22 MURPHY RETURNED MORE THAN TWENTY-FIVE-THOUSAND DOLLARS THAT WENT UNUSED FROM THE EXPENSE ACCOUNT TO THE STATE.