Gov. Murphy Spent $12K On Taylor Swift Concert, Stadium Events: Report

TRENTON, NJ — New Jersey Gov. Phil Murphy spent nearly $12,000 attending events at MetLife Stadium — events including Jets games, a hip-hop music festival and a Taylor Swift concert, according to reports.

Public records first obtained by Politico showed Murphy spent more than $11,800 on snacks and beverages at several events in 2018 and 2019. The expenses — typically covered by the Democratic State Committee — were paid through Murphy's annual expense account, according to reports.

In a statement provided to Politico, a spokesperson for Murphy said the governor's office "had every expectation" that the Democratic State Committee would cover the stadium expenses and is now seeking reimbursement from the party.

"Once it was clear that there were outstanding bills that had not been paid, the state stepped up to meet this responsibility," the spokesperson said. "We are pursuing reimbursement from the state party for costs incurred at MetLife Stadium."

According to an NJ.com report, Murphy is allocated $95,000 annually to pay for official receptions and other government business; however, it can't be used for personal expenses.

Despite the expenses, Murphy's spending has been much lower than his predecessor, Republican Gov. Chris Christie. According to NJ.com, Christie used his taxpayer-funded expense account to spend more than $82,000 at MetLife Stadium events.

In a statement provided to NJ.com, Democratic State Committee spokesperson Phil Swibinskisaid the organization "had no knowledge" of the invoices.

"We are looking into the matter in order to determine whether any additional action is necessary at this time," Swibinski said. "The state party regularly pays for the cost of food and beverage service at non-governmental events that the governor hosts, including at MetLife Stadium, and all of those payments are disclosed to ELEC according to state law."