Politicians will be politicians, it seems.
During her campaign, Democratic New Jersey Governor Mikie Sherrill promised to introduce “transparency and accountability” to her office. She even expressed the intention to eliminate dark money from politics. However, it appears that she may have already backtracked on this promise by allegedly exploiting a loophole to host an exclusive dinner for wealthy donors.
Recently, Sherrill held a dinner for executives, lobbyists, union leaders, and others willing to pay a minimum donation of $100,000, according to a report from Politico. Due to a loophole, donors could contribute more than $250,000, despite state regulations that limit inaugural contributions to $500, and it’s likely that the names of these donors will remain undisclosed.
This situation arose because these donations went to Mission to Deliver NJ, a non-profit “social welfare” organization established by Sherrill’s associates to finance the inaugural festivities and related events. Those contributing over $250,000, categorized as the “Commander” tier, received four tickets to the lavish pre-inaugural dinner, a position on the group’s finance committee, and “quarterly updates from top officials,” as reported by Politico.
“As a 501(c)4, these donations are unlimited and hidden, meaning there’s little awareness of who might be influencing the new administration,” said Saurav Ghosh, a director at the Campaign Legal Center. “The average New Jerseyan is unaware of who is part of this select group funding the inaugural events, but they might notice the outcomes when policies favored by these special interests receive more attention from the governor.”
Jose Lazano, the leader of Mission to Deliver, insisted that the organization was created solely to fund Sherrill’s inaugural events. They also have plans for activities related to America’s 250th anniversary and potentially the 2026 FIFA World Cup final, which will take place at MetLife Stadium in East Rutherford, New Jersey.
“We have absolutely no plans to engage in anything political,” Lazano asserted, claiming that the group would not advocate for Sherrill’s policies or share donor details with her.
Well, I have to say, I’m pretty skeptical about that.
Dark money might be one of the major factors that’s turned American politics—both state and federal—into a chaotic spectacle. It has distorted the principle of one person, one vote, into something resembling one elite degree and a sizable donation equating to one vote.
Certainly, shady behavior has always been a part of political life, and politicians have a long history of bending the truth. But the volume of dark money circulating in the political landscape today is unprecedented. And it’s frustrating to see a politician like Sherrill go back on her word, even if I should know better by now.
