Gov. Phil Murphy still hasn’t read the State Commission of Investigation’s report on nepotistic hires at the Schools Development Authority, though he said Monday he disagreed with some of their conclusions after being made aware of the report’s contents.
“On the SDA report, I have been briefed on the report, and though I do not agree with all of their conclusions, I look forward to working with all the parties to continue to improve the SDA,” the governor said.
The commission’s report found that Murphy’s staff was kept in the loop on nepotistic hires made under former SDA CEO Lizette Delgado-Polanco, a former vice chair of the Democratic State Committee.
Delgado culled dozens of longtime SDA staffers and replaced them with friends and family who frequently lacked qualifications for their new positions.
Twice last week, Murphy declined to comment on the commission’s report, saying he had yet to read the document.
Delgado-Polanco was a top Murphy ally before the hiring scandal saw her pushed out of political prominence.
It’s still not clear how she was chosen to lead the SDA, nor is it clear why Murphy’s administration invoked executive privilege when asked why she was picked for the role.