Democratic New Jersey Gov. Phil Murphy used taxpayer funds to pay for nearly $12,000 in concessions at MetLife Stadium, including at a Taylor Swift concert, according to Politico.
The governor’s office requested the state Democratic Party reimburse taxpayers for the expenses after being questioned about the costs, according to Politico. The Democratic State Committee was supposed to cover the costs at the stadium, Murphy’s office reportedly said, but the expenses were paid by the governor’s expense account.
“Once it was clear that there were outstanding bills that had not been paid, the state stepped up to meet this responsibility,” Jennifer Sciortino, a Murphy spokesperson, told Politico.
“We are pursuing reimbursement from the state party for costs incurred at MetLife Stadium,” Sciortino added.
Murphy’s expenses at MetLife Stadium included $936 on snacks during a July 2018 Taylor Swift concert, $2,095 at a September 2018 USA soccer game and $2,068 at a November 2018 Jets football game. He also spent $1,413 at Hot 97’s Summer Jam, a hip-hop music festival, in June 2019, $2,856 at a September 2019 USA soccer game and $2,479 at an October 2019 Jets football game.
There was also more than $3,000 spent in catering staff in August 2021 sent to Murphy’s personal residence, according to records obtained by Politico.
“Governor Murphy, like others before him, has chosen to forego living in the official Governor’s Mansion,” Sciortino told Politico. “On occasion, he hosts official state business at his residence, such as dinners with legislative leadership, which are catered by the Drumthwacket chef, occasionally with help from outside catering companies if the event is larger in nature.”
Invoices from 2018 showed $3,118 was spent on 30 custom plates from a stained glass studio and $2,300 was spent on 184 custom New Jersey-themed coasters, according to Politico. Sciortino said the items were part of an “official state gift” contest.
“Governors and foreign dignitaries — such as heads of state, ambassadors and consul generals — traditionally gift one another with official state gifts,” Sciortino told Politico. “The items mentioned were purchased at the very onset of the administration. The completed items, along with the book ‘Jersey Shore Impressionists,’ were eventually purchased as official gifts for meetings with dignitaries.”
Former Republican Gov. Chris Christie also spent taxpayer funds on concession costs at MetLife Stadium and had the Republican State Committee reimburse over $82,000 for concessions, according to Politico.
Murphy previously used more than half a million dollars of federal COVID-19 relief funds to acquire new SUVs for the state.
Murphy did not immediately respond to the Daily Caller News Foundation’s request for comment.
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