Dnistrian, Piperno and Eulner Statement: Murphy Demonstrates “Blatant Disregard” for Taxpayers with Decision to Spend Nearly $500k on Lavish Furnishings for State House Office 

Oversight and Stopgap Measures Are Needed to End Murphy’s “Outrageous Behavior”

COLTS NECK, N.J., April 20th – Governor Phil Murphy continues to demonstrate a blatant disregard for the day-to-day financial burdens New Jerseyans face with his recent decision to spend nearly  $500,000 of taxpayer money on lavish, antique furnishings for his state house office, and a separate gubernatorial office being used by his wife, according to State Senate Candidate Steve Dnistrian and Assemblywomen Marilyn Piperno & Kim Eulner from Legislative District 11 in Monmouth County.

“Governor Murphy spent $217,420 on three antique rugs, nearly $66,700 on curtains, $24,4000 on sofas, more than $31,100 for two antique desks and so much more on opulent, unnecessary, top-tier antiques for his office in Trenton,” Dnistrian said. “If the governor wants to furnish his own mansion in Middletown with lavish antiquities from the Edwardian period, more power to him. But this is taxpayer money, not his money. What’s needed is clear and perfectly reasonable: Oversight and stopgap measures must be put in place to end the outrageous behavior that the governor continues to demonstrate.”

“After Phil Murphy spent $500,000 of COVID relief money on a new fleet of SUVs for him and his staff, he brushed off public criticism with detachment and arrogance,” said Assemblywoman Marilyn Piperno (R-LD11). “I will say this about the governor: When it comes to spending taxpayer money, he is consistent with his display of detachment from the struggles of everyday people. These cases demonstrate why we need more checks and balances in Trenton, and why we desperately need commonsense leadership. When one party rules Trenton for too long, this is what you get.”

Assemblywoman Kim Eulner added: “To put this amount of taxpayer money in a larger context, Murphy just spent nearly $500,000 on antique furnishings. That’s $80,000 more than the average home price in the state of New Jersey. Who spends $217,240 on three antique rugs? That’s about what parents must save over the course of many years to send one child to college. It’s behavior like this that breeds contempt and distrust in government at all levels. Sadly, it’s easy to understand why.”

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Steve Dnistrian is the Republican Candidate for State Senate in Legislative District 11. Marilyn Piperno and Kim Eulner are Republican representatives for Legislative District 11 in the General Assembly. The election takes place this November.