Trenton, NJ – A publication calling itself the New Jersey Independent is landing in mailboxes across the Garden State—but it’s not a real newspaper. It’s backed by a Washington, D.C.-based liberal nonprofit tied to Democratic political operative David Brock, according to financial disclosures and watchdog sources.
That non-profit promotes liberal candidates and far-left agendas by attempting to deceive voters in key battleground elections.
The New Jersey Independent is part of a broader media initiative operated by the American Independent Foundation (AIF), a 501(c)(3) advocacy journalism group with deep ties to the Democratic Party’s political machinery. The foundation, based in Washington, D.C., has a history of launching and rebranding digital platforms to amplify progressive narratives and attack Republican figures,” said Republican candidate Jack Ciattarelli today. “”the fake newspaper many of you received recently – which is being promoted by @MikieSherrill – is bankrolled by defund the police radicals and extremist groups who have regularly attacked Israel and fueled antisemitism. They are also behind socialist Mamdani in NYC. Let’s keep these extremists and their lies out of NJ.”
Originally launched as Blue Nation Review, the outlet was renamed Shareblue in 2016 and later became the American Independent before adopting its current nonprofit name in 2019. The organization’s founder, David Brock, is a well-known liberal activist who also founded Media Matters for America and American Bridge 21st Century, groups that have heavily supported Democratic candidates and causes.
The AIF is now distributing state-branded publications such as the New Jersey Independent, styled like local newspapers, but critics say they are designed to appear impartial while pushing pro-Democrat messaging.
Financial documents show that in 2019, the American Independent Foundation received $467,000 from Media Matters for America, a watchdog group also founded by Brock. The same year, the foundation reported over $1.3 million in revenue, much of which was used to fund operations aimed at increasing “public awareness of progressive issues.”
According to InfluenceWatch, the current president of AIF is Matt Fuehrmeyer, a former staffer for Senate Democrats and the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee. Other key figures in the organization include Angelo Carusone, who also leads Media Matters, and Pilar Martinez, the CFO managing finances for AIF, Media Matters, and Citizens for Responsibility and Ethics in Washington (CREW).
The use of faux-local news outlets is not unique to AIF. Political groups across the spectrum have adopted similar strategies—creating publications that appear to be objective community newspapers but are designed to sway public opinion ahead of elections.
It remains unclear how many New Jersey households have received copies of the New Jersey Independent, but the timing aligns with heightened political campaigning in the state ahead of key legislative and congressional races.
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Key Points
- New Jersey Independent is funded by the American Independent Foundation, a liberal nonprofit run by David Brock allies
- The publication resembles a local newspaper but is part of a national network promoting progressive political content
- AIF has received significant funding from other Brock-linked groups including Media Matters
A D.C.-based liberal network is quietly flooding New Jersey with political mailers disguised as local news.