TRENTON, N.J. — The Common Sense Club pushed back Thursday against what it called a politically motivated “smear campaign,” issuing a public response after a recent report questioned its operations, finances and founder.
The PAC confirmed a report by Shore News Network showing that it had paid an BillSpadea.Com LLC $225,000 in payments, but argued those payments were made before Spadea was an announced candidate for office.
Now, a new report shows the candidate might also have been paid an additional $65,000 salary according to a 2023 IRS filing. That report has yet to be independently confirmed.
Key Points
- Common Sense Club defends itself against accusations made in a recent report which released data, published by the PAC to the New Jersey Election Law Enforcement Commission.
- The organization denies claims of campaign finance violations and founder misconduct, although no allegations of either were made, instead ethical questions have been raised.
- Supporters say the attacks are politically motivated ahead of upcoming elections, but provided absolutely no evidence to support their claims.
The group, founded by conservative media personality Bill Spadea in 2021, said the criticism stems from the club’s growing influence and recent compliance with state campaign disclosure laws.
The organization did not deny that the payments were made, but blamed the requirement to report the payments by the state of New Jersey.
Spadea stepped down as president to run for governor, triggering legal obligations under New Jersey’s Election Law Enforcement Commission (ELEC) to disclose financial details. At that time, Spadea did indeed stop taking payments, but not before amassing a $225,000 fortune from the PAC he created, which was supposed to help Republican candidates in New Jersey defeat Democrats.
PAC says their transparency has been weaponized
“We followed the law and were fully transparent,” the group said in its statement, blaming political opponents for “weaponizing” that transparency. “We are incensed at the baseless and politically motivated attacks leveled against our organization and our donors and members.”
Nonprofit status, payments defended
The club strongly refuted claims from the unnamed report that it operated as a campaign or political action committee (PAC), saying it remains a registered 501(c)4 nonprofit organization. The referenced Spadea self-dealing through an LLC named BillSpadea.Com LLC.
“All the transactions referenced in the ‘report’ occurred when our founder was the President of our organization and not yet a candidate for Governor,” the group said. It clarified that payments to “BillSpadea.com LLC” were monthly sponsorship fees for podcast production and not weekly campaign-related salaries, the PAC claims.
The PAC insists the payments were made to Spadea’s self-named LLC, and not to the candidate himself, which was confirmed in the report.
Organizational background
Since its launch, the Common Sense Club says it has held hundreds of events aimed at mobilizing what it calls the “Common Sense Majority.” The group’s stated goal is to push back against both liberal policies and complacency within the Republican establishment.
Spadea has publicly stated that his presence and work with the non-profit was not only paid, but that his organization still owed him more money.
With Spadea now a gubernatorial candidate, the club continues under the leadership of Elizabeth Nader. The group’s website reiterates its mission: “to save New Jersey from Left Wing Lunacy and restore sanity in our state’s political landscape.”
The club maintains that it will remain active despite recent scrutiny and says it has complied with all regulatory requirements. It did not say whether or not it will pay Spadea the balance he is owed, which he claimed during the 2024 GOP candidate debate.
Bill Spadea NJ ELEC P2 Form by Phil Stilton
