As New Jersey lawmakers considered restrictions on vaping products, a leading e-cigarette maker donated to political organizations with close ties to both state Senate President Steve Sweeney and Gov. Phil Murphy.
The donations from Juul Labs came even after Sweeney called for a ban on all vaping products and then pushed a bill that would severely restrict their sales in New Jersey.
According to filings with the state Election Law Enforcement Commission, Juul’s $7,500 donation to General Majority, a Sweeney-tied super PAC, was dated Jan. 24 — less than two weeks after the Senate and Assembly passed a Sweeney-backed bill, NJ A5922 (18R), that could have banned the company’s products from store shelves, and three days after Murphy vetoed it.
And filings with the Internal Revenue service show Juul donated $50,350 to the Democratic Governors Association in August and September 2019 when Murphy was the organization’s vice chair and a few months before he became chairman. DGA spokesperson David Turner said Murphy did not solicit the contribution.