Ciattarelli pockets another $269,000 in taxpayer funds for political campaign

TRENTON, NJ – The New Jersey Election Law Enforcement Commission today confirmed that Republican candidate for governor has just received an additional $269,390 in public taxpayer funds to continue his political campaign for governor. The announcement comes one day after Ciattarelli faced off against his opponent Hirsh Singh on NJ 101.5 in the campaign’s first and possibly only debate.

Ciattarelli has now received $4,399,564 in public funds for his campaign this year. Under NJELEC state law, Ciattarelli has to participate in two public debates with Singh to receive the funds. As of today with less than two weeks before the June 8th primary election, there is not a scheduled second debate.

“The New Jersey Election Law Enforcement Commission (ELEC) has approved $296,390 in public matching funds for the 2021 gubernatorial primary campaign of one candidate. The recipient is Jack Ciattarelli, who is seeking the Republican nomination this June. To date, Ciattarelli has qualified for almost $4.4 million in public funds,” NJ ELEC said in a statement today.

Ciattarelli is now just $200,000 shy of maxing out his total eligible amount for public funds in a campaign that has officially turned into a dumpster fire all around. More on that tomorrow.

If Ciattarelli wins the primary election, his campaign could end up costing taxpayers upwards of $15.1 million.

“Under the Gubernatorial Public Financing program, which began in 1974, candidates who raise $490,000 or more can qualify for public matching funds. Primary candidates are eligible for up to $4.6 million in public funds. In exchange, other than a few exceptions, they must limit their total primary spending to $7.3 million,” NJ elect said in a statement.

Jack Ciattarelli

Phil Stilton Latest posts

Phil Stilton is the Editor and Publisher of Shore News Network, an independent digital newsroom providing original reporting on New Jersey, national news, government, public policy, public safety, courts, and community affairs.

As founder of the publication, Stilton leads editorial strategy, investigative reporting, and daily newsroom operations while overseeing coverage that reaches millions of readers annually.

With extensive experience covering municipal government, county government, state legislatures, elections, law enforcement, emergency management, and public records, Stilton specializes in translating complex government actions into clear, factual reporting. His work frequently relies on primary source documents, including court filings, legislation, public meeting records, election finance disclosures, government databases, police reports, and Freedom of Information and Open Public Records Act (OPRA) requests. He has reported extensively on local government accountability, taxpayer spending, campaign finance, public corruption investigations, infrastructure, public safety, and the policies affecting New Jersey residents.

Under Stilton's editorial leadership, Shore News Network has grown into one of New Jersey's largest independent digital news organizations, publishing thousands of original news articles each year while providing breaking news coverage, investigative reporting, and analysis across state and local government. The publication's reporting is routinely sourced from official government agencies, public officials, court records, and firsthand documentation, with a commitment to transparency, attribution, corrections when warranted, and clearly distinguishing factual reporting from opinion.

Stilton's journalism follows established newsroom standards emphasizing accuracy, verification, fairness, and accountability. Every effort is made to verify information through official records and multiple reliable sources before publication. His reporting is intended to provide readers with timely, well-documented information that helps them understand the issues affecting their communities, while maintaining editorial independence from political parties, government agencies, advocacy organizations, and commercial interests.

Readers can submit story tips, corrections, public records, or media inquiries through the official Shore News Network website or its verified social media channels. Shore News Network welcomes corrections and updates when new information becomes available as part of its ongoing commitment to accurate and transparent journalism.