J
ersey City Mayor Steven Fulop has been touting his commitment to transparency, vowing to "open up the books in Trenton" if elected governor. However, a closer look at his own fundraising reveals a different story.

    Fulop's campaign coffers have been filled with contributions from real estate and development interests, totaling over $6.8 million of his $21 million career haul. This includes donations from major players like Dixon Advisory, the Fields Development Group, and Onyx Equities, among others.

    In several high-profile cases, Fulop has used his position to advance the financial interests of his largest donors. For example, he backed the takeover of Christ Hospital by a group led by donor Vivek Garipalli, who had previously sold the hospital's prized land to another donor, Avery Eisenreich. Critics argue that this deal is rooted in real estate and could destabilize the hospital's finances.

    Fulop has also proposed tax breaks for developers, including a $150 million abatement for Kushner Real Estate Group in exchange for housing the Centre Pompidou museum in one of its luxury towers. His developer-friendly posture has raised eyebrows, particularly given his own connections to real estate interests.

    In fact, Fulop's fundraising has been so reliant on development money that it's helped him narrow the gap with front-runner U.S. Rep. Mikie Sherrill. According to a recent poll, 12% of registered Democrats and Democratic-leaning independents prefer Fulop as their nominee, while Sherrill garnered support from 17%.

    Fulop's super PAC, Coalition for Progress, has also been heavily reliant on developer money, with over $5.4 million – or 41% – coming from real estate interests since its creation in 2015. This raises questions about the sincerity of Fulop's pledge to "stand up to developers" and his claims of independence from political machines.

    As Fulop continues to campaign for governor, it remains to be seen whether his developer-powered cash horde will ultimately pay off – or if voters will see through the facade of his transparency promises.