Dear Shore News Network,
I am writing in response to your April 10, 2025, article exposing that Bill Spadea, a Republican gubernatorial candidate and former radio host, paid himself $225,000 through his LLC, BillSpadea.Com LLC, from the Common Sense Club PAC. As a former monthly donor to this organization, I am furious and feel utterly betrayed by this revelation.
At first, I was mad at Shore News Network, thinking you are engaging in left-wing tactics to smear Spadea. Then I looked into it. I looked at the New Jersey election reports he filed with the state, then I went to the Common Sense Club page and read their press release.
First, they should be ashamed. They said you lied. Then they actually admitted they paid Spadea that money, but then said, “It was before he was a candidate.”
How tone deaf can they be? I don’t care when it was. I didn’t give my hard earned money to the Common Sense Club so Bill Spadea could put in his own pocket!
The Common Sense Club, founded by Spadea, was presented as a political action organization dedicated to advancing conservative values and supporting like-minded Republican candidates across New Jersey, from school boards to the governor’s race. Spadea marketed it as a grassroots effort to bolster the “Trump Cause,” appealing to everyday New Jerseyans and out-of-state supporters.
I believed my contributions were funding conservative campaigns and initiatives, not lining Spadea’s pockets. To discover that he funneled $225,000 of donor money to himself is not only shocking but a gross violation of trust.
Spadea, a well-known figure from his decade-long morning show on New Jersey 101.5 FM, built a reputation as a vocal conservative critic of establishment politics. His claims of championing transparency and integrity made his actions all the more hypocritical. The $225,000 in payments, as reported, came from funds donated by supporters like me, many of whom are not wealthy insiders but hardworking individuals who believed in his mission. This self-dealing mirrors the corrupt practices he often condemned, resembling the grift I associate with dishonest Democrats.
I have canceled my subscription to the Common Sense Club and will be demanding a refund for the hundreds of dollars I contributed.
I strongly encourage other donors who feel fleeced to do the same. Spadea has an opportunity to make this right by returning the $225,000 to the PAC’s campaign coffers, as your article suggested, to ensure it supports the conservative causes his donors intended. Until then, his actions undermine the credibility of the conservative movement he claims to represent.
