Montclair Progressive or Corrupt

On September 30, 2025, two New Jersey teachers, represented by The Fairness Center, filed a lawsuit with the Superior Court of New Jersey, Mercer County seeking a judgment against the NJEA, a 501(c)(5) tax exempt organization, for misappropriating teacher union dues for political purposes.

Furthermore, not only were the teachers’ union dues improperly used to fund political expenditures, but the dues were used to provide financial funding for the political ambitions of the then NJEA president, Sean Spiller.

Counts

The lawsuit seeks judgments on three counts: breach of contract, negligent misrepresentation, and breach of fiduciary duty. The NJEA committed these acts through deliberate actions to conceal the misuse of funds, misreporting political expenditures, and intentional violation of conflict of interests. [The Internal Revenue Code specifically prohibits inurement by tax-exempt organizations. Inurement occurs when a tax-exempt organization’s income or assets are used to benefit a private individual, especially someone who controls the organization.]

The Law

It is established law that union dues can used for political expenditures when they have been specifically authorized by individual union members and withheld from their salary (“segregated funds”).  While it is generally legal for unions to make political expenditures from funds that are not specifically authorized by individual union members (“general funds”), those expenditures are then subject to excise tax.

During the period beginning with the NJEA’s fiscal year ended August 31, 2013, the NJEA has continuously reported political expenditures from general funds as charitable contributions on Internal Revenue Service Form 990, Schedule I. On the other hand, the NJEA has continuously reported political expenditures made from segregated funds as political contributions on Internal Revenue Service Form 990, Schedule C. Both political expenditures from segregated and general funds are required to be reported on Internal Revenue Service Form 990, Schedule C.

NJ Monitor

After the Teachers’ lawsuit against the NJEA was filed, there were many news articles quoting NJEA Director of Communications, Steve Baker. NJ Monitor reporter, Dana DiFilippo, quotes Baker calling the lawsuit’s accusations “baseless and without merit”. Over a period of months, prior to the June 2025 primary, I personally emailed NJ Monitor with a complete analysis [The kakistocracy of Sean Spiller] detailing the laws the NJEA violated, but the NJ Monitor made no attempt to challenge Baker’s claim.

NJ Spotlight News

Similarly, NJ Spotlight news quoted Baker saying that “union dues can be used to fund independent expenditures following the Supreme Court’s ruling in Citizens United in 2010.”  While this is generally true, why then did the NJEA continuously, for over a decade, report political expenditures to Garden State Forward as charitable contributions and political expenditures to the NJEA PAC as political. John Mooney at NJ Spotlight news was also a recipient of my analysis.

NorthJersey.com

NorthJersey.com’s MaryAnn Koruth characterized the Fairness Center as right-leaning, as if right-leaning is somehow suspect if accusations are being made against a left-leaning union.  Again, she quotes Steve Baker and makes no effort to challenge his erroneous claim, despite many of her colleagues including editor in chief Charles Stile having been recipients of my analysis.

NJ.com

If only there was an unbiased news media organization in the State of New Jersey that practiced real journalism.  NJ.com reporting included the same Baker quote, with no pushback from Jelani Gibson or Liz Rosenberg.  Instead, the writers question the source of The Fairness Center’s donors, claiming over half of the 2024 support came from the Vanguard Charitable Endowment Program “a fund often used to make anonymous donations.” NJ.com deliberately makes biased statements designed to make readers question the integrity of The Fairness Center without any effort to challenge the false statements made by Baker.

This is the sorry state of so-called journalism.  Deliberate dismissal of anything that challenges the left-wing agenda, despite the overwhelming evidence of truth.

Despite the teachers’ lawsuit against the NJEA seeking judgements on three counts: breach of contract, negligent misrepresentation, and breach of fiduciary duty, Sherrill accepted the NJEA’s endorsement and money without hesitation.

Sherrill Campaign Support

Form R-1 filed with NJElec on October 24, 2025 by Garden State Forward, reported the following expenditures and classified them as “charitable contributions”. These expenditures are political, not charitable, and were made after the teachers’ lawsuit was filed on September 30, 2025.

1. Stronger Fairer Forward, 10/17/25 – $500,000 – Phil Murphy launched this fundraising group to back candidates and push his corrupt agenda. Tammy Murphy is one of three members of the board of trustees.

2. The Turnout Project Inc, 10/17/25 – $1,000,000 – https://www.insidernj.com/press-release/njea-supports-the-turnout-project-to-get-sherrill-voters-to-the-polls/

3. Greater Garden State, 10/21/25 – $2,000,000. This entity is heavily funded by the Democratic Governors Association and the funds were used in negative campaigning against Jack Ciattarelli. https://www.greatergardenstate.com/

The fact is Ciattarelli ran an honest campaign as opposed to Sherrill who used fear mongering, which is exactly the same tactic Trump uses. At least Trump is transparent – Sherrill stole from the teachers to promote herself the same way Spiller stole from the teachers, the same way Murphy stole from the teachers in the 2017 and 2021 elections.

As long as the democrats fail to hold themselves accountable, they cannot claim to hold themselves to a higher standard than the republicans.