New Jersey's newly minted Democratic governor spent $13,000 of taxpayer funds to create an office for his wife, who has no constitutional role in state government, down the hall from his own.
Upon taking office in January, Phil Murphy's administration initiated a series of refurbishment and redecoration projects to the governor's office and residence costing taxpayers $27,000. Nearly half of the total, $13,000, was used to install a doorway in a conference room so it could serve as a private office for the first lady of New Jersey, according to nj.com.
The custodian of public records in Murphy's office told NJ Advance Media that such expenditures were "standard" when a new administration takes office.
The disclosure of the expenditure has, nevertheless, renewed criticism that Murphy, a multi-millionaire former Goldman Sachs executive, is an elected official eager to spend. The criticism stems from the progressive agenda Murphy outlined while running for governor, an agenda his detractors said could only be financed through higher taxes. Murphy didn't do anything to downplay the notion when he announced, shortly after being elected, he would accept the $175,000 salary provided for New Jersey's chief executive. Initially, there was speculation Murphy would follow in the footsteps of another governor, fellow Democrat and Goldman Sachs executive Jon Corzine, who opted to accept an annual salary of a single dollar while in office.
The Ashbury Park Press pointed out that Murphy's $175,000 gubernatorial salary wouldn't even cover the property taxes on his $9.4 million home.
Murphy's image as a "tax and spend liberal" was further accentuated when the governor unveiled his first budget in March. The proposal called for $1.6 billion in new taxes to make good on campaign promises to increase public spending on education and transit infrastructure.
The $13,000 expenditure has also led many in New Jersey politics to question the outsize influence that Tammy Murphy, the first lady, seems to have on her husband's administration. Media outlets throughout the state have taken note that the first lady has been given plum speaking roles at public events and has been influential in policy discussions.
"She has a prominent seat at the table for policy discussions," Phil Murphy said in a statement.
"She has certainly become a driving force on the issues that matter most to her," the governor added. "Particularly on environmental issues and our plans for transitioning to a clean-energy economy, an area where she has a wealth of valuable insight."
The governor's attempts to soft-pedal the first lady's influence in his administration have been unsuccessful as even some Murphy allies have expressed confusion over who is in charge.
Loretta Weinberg, the majority leader of the Democratic-controlled New Jersey Senate, said there was legitimate confusion about the first lady's role and that Murphy should offer more clarification.
"I think there could be some confusion when one wants to contact the administration on a specific issue," Weinberg said. "If there is, in fact, an official policy role for the first lady, I just think a little more clarity would be helpful."