Fake News? Spadea text ignites debate over Rutgers U. mask policy

Claims of a mandatory mask policy as part of the vaccination policy have caused a stir among NJ media, politicos.

Central Jersey - A recent text (seen at the bottom of the article) from Bill Spadea, the morning drive host on NJ 101.5 and potential candidate for Governor, lamented Rutgers University’s controversial vaccine mandate. The text made mention of mask mandates which set off a series of head scratches. (It also misspelled “New Jerseyan”).

Rutgers’ vaccine mandate has been verified by the University, while the mask mandate has not. Yet, The Hill and other outlets have syndicated a NewsNation piece that mentions masks coming back, but with no verifiable policy or related quote. (Separately, NewsNation provided no evidence of the mask policy in their broadcast and mispronounced Sen. Declan O’ Scanlon’s name).

This also raised the eyebrows of Politico’s Matt Friedman.

Picking up on an X user’s relay of the text, Friedman verified that Rutgers is not enforcing a masking policy. Unlike the Hill, UK’s Daily Mail, or NewsNation, Friedman brought the ultimate receipt: an email from a Rutgers spokesperson.

This then prompted Tom Bonfonti, Associate Director of National Public Affairs, the group led by GOP operative Bill Stepien, to attempt to slam Friedman with a screenshot from Rutgers website. Spadea’s Common Sense Club is a client of National Public Affairs.

Citing the less-than-often update nature of websites, Friedman shot back saying that’s why he emailed Rutgers directly.

Spadea double down on his claims this morning, citing the same website policy as Bonfonti.

This is not the first time Bill Spadea and Bonfonti came within Friedman’s crosshairs. Friedman broke the story on the right-wing host’s and National Public Affairs dubious fundraising efforts and his links to LD-11 Senator and progressive standard-bearer Vin Gopal, and Ocean County GOP Boss George Gilmore.

The text in question:

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