The Purchase of SUVs with Pandemic Funds to Chauffeur Democrat Leaders Called “Disturbing”

the staff of the Ridgewood blog

Trenton NJ, Senator Michael Testa issued the following statement after it was revealed that Governor Phil Murphy and Democrat legislative leaders spent $522,783 of federal pandemic relief funds on a fleet of new Chevy Suburbans for the State Police’s Executive Protection Unit:

“It’s disturbing that Governor Murphy and Democrat leaders chose to spend pandemic relief funds to buy new SUVs for the State Police to chauffeur them around the state. Instead of putting the billions in unspent relief funds that have sat idle in state accounts for two years to effective use, Democrats prioritized their own comfort and convenience over helping people. It’s despicable.”

The state of New Jersey used more than half a million dollars in federal Covid relief funds to purchase eight new SUVs to transport the governor, lieutenant governor and other top administration officials.

The $521,783 expenditure by Gov. Phil Murphy’s administration — in this case the New Jersey State Police, which is responsible for transportation and security of high-ranking state officials — was one of 46 outlined in a state Treasury department memo to the Joint Budget Oversight Committee (JBOC) about the use of $200 million in federal rescue funds included in the Fiscal Year 2022 budget passed in June 2021.