Governor Murphy Is Shoveling Some Stuff, And It’s Not Snow

Gov. Phil Murphy

I don’t usually like writing about the same thing everyone is writing about, but this is different because Governor Phil Murphy shoveled so much stuff yesterday after Katie Brennan’s testimony at the legislative hearing into the Murphy administrations hiring practices that I felt like I had to put on the boots I wore back in New Mexico on my friend’s ranch while herding cattle.

In a statement after her testimony Murphy said, “I commend the courage, bravery, and leadership she showed in telling her story. She is right: no one should have to go through an ordeal to have their voices heard.”

Is Murphy serious with that line? Brennan was courageous and brave every step of the way. She did everything right, including reporting the incident to authorities. It was brave for her to send the governor an email regarding a “sensitive matter.” And it was courageous of her to continue going to work, knowing she could possibly run into, Albert Alvarez, the man who allegedly raped her, after receiving a response to her email from Murphy of, “Hang in. We’re on it.”

Maybe the “we’re on it,” part of Murphy’s response was having his former campaign lawyer, Jonathan Berkon, call Brennan about a week after her email was sent to Murphy? Seriously, why would the former campaign lawyer call Brennan to tell her that the man she accused of raping her would no longer be working in state government after she sent that email?

The answers to those questions don’t matter because common sense tells any person with a brain in their head that Murphy (a) knew what the “sensitive matter” Brennan referenced in her email was and (b) being “on it” meant he knew what the problem was.

Murphy’s post testimony statement is nothing but a bunch of political BS.

When it comes to bad things happening to women it appears Murphy always knows less than he should. From players on his soccer team facing deplorable conditions to players who  were forced to ‘live with an elderly man who repeatedly made inappropriate comments to the players and made them feel uncomfortable and now Katie Brennan there is a clear pattern of mistreatment of women by Murphy.

I shudder to think how I would react if either of my sisters had to deal with such treatment. I know it wouldn’t be pretty.

New Jersey deserves better. We don’t need investigations. We need political leaders willing to call Murphy out on the stuff he is presently shoveling.