On Monday, the New Jersey State Legislature passed a $58.8 billion state budget. But before that vote took place, I stood up and made a formal point of order in the Assembly chambers — because what’s happening in Trenton is wrong, and you deserve to know about it.
Speaker Craig Coughlin, who presided over the budget vote, has a law firm that received over $8.1 million in public contracts in 2024 alone. Even more concerning, 23 of the entities that paid his firm are receiving a combined $44.4 million in taxpayer-funded appropriations in this budget; appropriations that were added after the Governor’s initial proposal, and at the Speaker’s direction.
That’s not just a coincidence. That’s a conflict.
The legislative ethics commission that would rule on this matter is appointed by the same people who stand to benefit — the Speaker, the Senate President, and the Governor. That’s like putting the wolves in charge of guarding the hen house.
Six of the Most Egregious Examples*:
- Woodbridge
– Paid Speaker’s firm: $109,932
– Received in budget: $5 million - Plainfield
– Paid Speaker’s firm: $166,339
– Received in budget: $4.46 million - Union County
– Paid Speaker’s firm: $232,202
– Received in budget: $2 million - Edison
– Paid Speaker’s firm: $716,386
– Received in budget: $1.65 million - Monroe
– Paid Speaker’s firm: $484,107
– Received in budget: $1.5 million - Highland Park
– Paid Speaker’s firm: $121,383
– Received in budget: $1.25 million
This is not how government is supposed to work. These taxpayer dollars should be appropriated based on merit and need — not based on who’s paying the Speaker’s law firm.
I will continue to fight for transparency, ethics, and accountability in Trenton — no matter who stands in the way. You elected me to speak up, and that’s exactly what I did.
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*All public entity payment information came from Form BE filed on 31 Mar 2025 at 5:19pm by Rainone Coughlin Minchello, LLC. It is publicly available on the ELEC commission website: https://www.elec.nj.
