Trenton, NJ – Move over Minnesota, New Jersey’s last-minute effort to funnel over a hundred million dollars into political pet projects, including $26 million to a committee run by New Jersey First Lady Tammy Murphy, is raising more than a few eyebrows here at home.
In a last-minute session, New Jersey lawmakers quietly approved $128 million in new spending with less than an hour’s public notice, igniting backlash over what critics are calling a last-minute budget ambush in Governor Phil Murphy’s final days in office.
The eleventh-hour appropriations, approved behind closed doors and added to a broader spending bill, were passed without public comment or committee hearings. Lawmakers confirmed that the package included millions for projects across several counties, from capital improvements to event promotions tied to the 2026 FIFA World Cup.
Among the allocations: $26 million for First Lady Tammy Murphy’s World Cup promotional committee, $25 million for a new state-owned supercomputer, $12 million for Bergen County hospital projects, $9 million for Union County capital improvements, $13 million for a regional jail reentry center in Camden and Cumberland Counties, and $10 million for Hudson County Schools of Technology.
Republican legislators immediately condemned the move, accusing Democratic leaders of bypassing transparency laws and abusing lame-duck authority.
Democratic leadership defended the spending as targeted investments intended to secure funding for essential infrastructure, technology, and workforce initiatives before the transition to a new administration. They noted that the appropriations were legal and consistent with previous end-of-session budget adjustments.
Still, the timing and secrecy of the vote have sparked outrage among government watchdog groups, who argue the move undermines public confidence in the legislative process.
Governor Murphy, whose term ends later this month, has not yet commented on the spending package.
