(The Center Square) — A New Jersey mayor is suggesting a state agency’s move to pull funding for a museum project was in retaliation for his refusal to endorse First Lady Tammy Murphy’s U.S. Senate candidacy.
On Friday, the New Jersey Economic Development Authority threatened to pull funding for the controversial Pompidou Museum project unless the Jersey City Redevelopment Agency “rectifies” a $19 million shortfall on its books.
But an outraged Jersey City Mayor Steve Fulop took to social media to claim the agency’s move is retaliation for him pulling back his endorsement of Murphy’s now-suspended bid for the Democratic nomination to run for embattled Democratic Sen. Bob Menendez’s seat.
The Democrat said the project was on track for state funding until he announced that he was backing Rep. Andy Kim, D-NJ, in the primary race.
“We heard zero from the state for months other than all is good except for the exact week I said I was endorsing Andy Kim,” Fulop posted on X, formerly known as Twitter. “That EXACT week we all of a sudden got multiple letters from Trenton after months of silence. What changed?”