PoliticoNJ and Sunshine Policy Center of NJ are both reporting today that leaders of New Jersey’s teacher union, NJEA, have invested far more money to launch NJEA President Sean Spiller’s gubernatorial run than previously believed. To do so, NJEA is using as a vehicle another PAC, Garden State Forward, which is funded with teacher dues.

Matt Friedman at Politico (paywalled) and Mike Lilley at Sunlight explain that in January 2024 Garden State Forward, NJEA’s super PAC, contributed $2 million in teacher member dues to Spiller’s dark money PAC called “Protecting Our Democracy,” which is intended to boost Spiller’s name recognition and credibility. This contribution was duly reported to the New Jersey Election Law Enforcement Commission (ELEC). However, based on a tip, they were able to verify that in 2022 the NJEA super PAC gave Spiller’s PAC two donations, one for $1 million in April 2022 and another for $2 million in September 2022 , that was not reported to ELEC but was visible on Garden State Forward’s IRS Form 8872 filings.

Also, Friedman says NJEA’s spokesman Steve Baker verified that Garden State Forward recently gave Spiller’s PAC another $3 million, “bringing its total funding to at least $8 million.”

“Teachers have been kept in the dark about this self-dealing by Spiller because NJEA leadership — including Spiller — hides the existence of Garden State Forward from the very teachers who fund it,” says Lilley..” In its entire existence, Garden State Forward has never been mentioned in any of the NJEA’s main interfaces with teachers.”

Over the last few weeks Spiller has generated several headlines. NJ Spotlight reported on the possible impact on his campaign of his rocky tenure as mayor of Montclair, which was “marked by controversy and often, chaos,” including an ongoing whistleblower suit, refusal to answer questions, and allegedly taking health benefits illegally. Spiller, said former Montclair Mayor Bob Russo, “has a big job, high pay, all benefits covered and still took the payments in lieu, which amounted to about $50,000, and people are outraged at that. I’m a political science professor for years at Montclair State and Rutgers. I give him a D-minus.”

Micah Rasmussen, director of the Rebovich Institute for New Jersey Politics, said of the Spiller controversy, “Not because he’s necessarily enriching himself but because there’s a perception that when it involves benefits or salary or compensation … that it’s self-dealing and that’s tough to get out from under. To the extent that this information gets known by primary voters, he’s going to have some tight answers to these questions.”

NJEA Secretary-Treasurer Petal Robertson was reportedly circulating in North Jersey schools promoting Spiller for governor, even though  state law and school policy prohibits campaigning on public property.

And on June 18th, after the NJEA PAC Operating Committees decided to endorse Spiller for governor in 2025 without interviewing any other candidates, Newark Mayor Ras Baraka, one of those candidates, had this to say on X:

Regarding the $3 million in formerly undisclosed contributions that come from teacher dues, NJEA spokesman Steve Baker said, “Garden State Forward is funded out of the NJEA budget with money specifically approved by our elected Delegate Assembly for that type of public advocacy work. NJEA files all of the required reports for our spending on political advocacy.”

The Democratic field to replace Gov. Phil Murphy is large and will likely get larger. Current candidates include Baraka, Spiller, and Jersey City Mayor Steve Fulop. U.S. Representatives Mikie Sherrill and Josh Gottheimer are rumored to be joining the field soon.