More than $5 billion in funds the federal government gave New Jersey for COVID-19 relief in 2021 has yet to be spent, a report from the state’s auditor found.
In May 2021, New Jersey received $6.24 billion through the U.S. Department of Treasury’s State Fiscal Recovery Funds. Of that, $1.1 billion has been spent, according to an informational report from the state auditor, David Kaschak. The remaining money has been allocated but not spent. The report, which was shared with the state’s legislative leadership and the executive director of the Office of Legislative Services, does not audit whether the funds were well allocated; rather, it is simply a tally of the money spent so far.
Pennsylvania also received almost $7.3 billion through the American Recovery Plan, according to the state Office of the Budget. The state Department of Treasury did not say how much of that has been spent, and the state’s auditor said it does not have the authority to audit federal funds before they have been used.
