New Governor Who Ran On ‘Transparency’ Reportedly Uses Loophole To Host Secret Ritzy Dinner With Donors

Politicians are gonna politician.

During her campaign, Democratic New Jersey Gov. Mikie Sherrill vowed to bring “transparency and accountability” to the governor’s office. She even said she wanted to get dark money out of politics. But, of course, she appears to have already reneged on her promise after reportedly using a loophole to host a secret ritzy dinner with her deep-pocketed donors.

Sherrill recently hosted a dinner for executives, lobbyists, unionists, and anyone else who could afford a $100,000 minimum entry donation, Politico reported Sunday. Thanks to a loophole, donors could give well over $250,000, despite a state law that caps inaugural contributions at $500, and the identities of those donors will probably never see the light of day.

That’s because they were reportedly donating to Mission to Deliver NJ, a non-profit, 501(c)(4) “social welfare” organization created by Sherrill’s allies to fund the inaugural parties and other related events for the governor. Those who donated over $250,000, the “Commander” tier, got four tickets to the posh pre-inaugural dinner, a spot on the group’s finance committee, and “quarterly briefings from top officials,” Politico reported.

“As a 501(c)4, you’re talking about donations that are unlimited and dark, so nobody’s even aware of who’s potentially buying influence from the new administration,” Saurav Ghosh, director of federal campaign finance reform for Campaign Legal Center, told Politico. “The typical New Jerseyan doesn’t know even who’s part of that select group that has helped fund the inaugural ball, but they’re going to see the potential outcomes of that when a policy favored by special interests gets more support from the governor.”

Jose Lazano, Mission to Deliver’s leader, said the group was only set up to pay for Sherrill’s inaugural ball. They are also planning events for America’s 250th anniversary and possibly the 2026 FIFA World Cup games and the tournament’s final match, which will be played at MetLife Stadium in East Rutherford, New Jersey.

“There is zero intention to do anything political at all,” Lozano said in its defense. He claimed the group will not push for Sherrill’s agenda, nor has it shared any donor information with Sherrill herself.

Well, color me extremely skeptical.

Dark money might be one of the worst, if not the worst, factors that have turned American politics, at the state and federal levels, into a corrupt clown show. It has turned the ethos of one man, one vote, into one Ivy League degree and a blank check, one vote.

Sure, politicians have engaged in shady behavior since time immemorial. They have always lied, as well. But the amount of dark money sloshing around the system, especially in national politics, is unprecedented. And anytime a politician reneges on a promise, as is the case with Sherrill, I still find it annoying, even though I should know better.

AUTHOR

John Loftus

Editor at Large

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