Sean Spiller Is Running for Governor but Is Still Under State Criminal Investigation. Is this the Kind of Candidate NJ Teachers Would Choose to Support with $43 Million of Their Dues?
October 4, 2024Jersey City Mayor Fulop: Sean Spiller Can Spend Millions to Run for Governor Because It’s “Other People’s Money” — But It’s All NJ Teachers’ Dues
October 11, 2024The NJEA’s 2022 IRS Form 990 is finally available, so we can update the NJEA’s funding for its network of allies. The NJEA continues to fund three key allies: the Education Law Center (ELC), New Jersey Policy Perspective (NJPP), and the New Jersey Working Families Alliance (NJWFA), all of whom help to ensure that the NJEA remains the dominant special interest in New Jersey politics.
Regarding its key allies:
- ELC: In 2022, the NJEA donated another $570,000 to ELC, bringing total donations to $6.6 million. In return, the ELC has wholeheartedly embraced the NJEA’s agenda. The ELC has taken the lead in blocking charter schools, a perennial top policy goal of the NJEA. The ELC can also be counted on to push for increased state education aid, also a top NJEA priority. There’s a reason why the ELC has been described as the legal arm of the NJEA.
- NJPP: The NJEA gave $215,000 in 2022, bringing its total to $1,665,000. As Sunlight has documented over and over, NJPP provides “research” to support the NJEA’s favored policies. NJPP adds the veneer of academic credibility to the NJEA’s agenda when it lobbies legislators or engages the media. When it comes to education politics, NJPP should be thought of as the policy arm of the NJEA.
- NJWFA: The NJEA gave NJWFA $25,000 in 2022, bringing total donations to $1,000,500. The NJEA also regularly pays NJWFA to get out the vote for favored candidates such as NJEA President/former-Montclair Mayor Sean Spiller. The NJEA has paid a total of $139,000 directly to NJWFA for GOTV and another $200,000 via pro-Murphy Super PAC New Direction New Jersey (to which the NJEA contributed $10.5 million), for a grand total of $1,339,500. When it comes to New Jersey elections, NJWFA should be seen as paid GOTV for the NJEA.
One of the primary reasons for the NJEA’s network allies is that they join the various coalitions that the NJEA builds to create the impression of broad support for its policy agenda. As we documented in our previous report, the NJEA continually uses the coalitions to lobby lawmakers and communicate via the media. Key allies ELC, NJPP, and NJWFA all regularly participate in NJEA-built coalitions.
So when you see ELC, NJPP, and NJWFA in action, know that there are millions in NJEA money behind them.