The president of the New Jersey Senate backed out of a speaking engagement during last week’s Democratic National Convention in Philadelphia because of the event sponsor’s donations to an antigay lawmaker.
Senate President Stephen Sweeney was scheduled to headline the New Jersey delegation breakfast July 27, which was sponsored by PSEG, a New Jersey-based utility company and the state’s largest energy provider. However, Sweeney boycotted the event because of the company’s financial support of Republican Congressman Scott Garrett.
Garrett reportedly had threatened to not back the fundraising arm of the Republican Congressional caucus because it backed LGBT candidates. The Congressman later said he opposed candidates who support marriage equality, not all LGBT candidates.
According to Politico, PSEG said it would not donate any more than the $5,000 it already gave to Garrett this election cycle, but Sweeney wanted a commitment that the company would never back him in the future, which it seemingly did not provide.