Donald Trump’s latest surgeon general nominee is facing fresh scrutiny over her use of a controversial New Jersey tax loophole that allows wealthy property owners to dramatically reduce their tax bills by designating mansions as farmland — despite openly admitting she is not actually a farmer.
According to Politico, Nicole Saphier, a Fox News frequent guest and radiologist, owns a 16,000-square-foot palatial estate in Far Hills, New Jersey, purchased for $5.8 million in 2023. She has designated 10.35 acres of the property as farmland, allowing her to pay as little as $40 annually in property taxes on that land.
Politico’s Daniel Han is reporting that in an Instagram post last May, Saphier was remarkably candid about the arrangement, writing: “The reality is, I’m not a real farmer. I just kind of pretend like I am.”
The admission directly contradicts her formal property tax application, raising questions about the integrity of both her claim and the state’s vetting process.
The financial benefit is substantial, the report notes. According to county tax records, the land value of Saphier’s residential property dropped by approximately $624,500 when the 10.35 acres became valued at agricultural rates. Under current local tax rates, those same acres would normally carry a property tax bill of approximately $7,200 annually.
By contrast, New Jersey’s average property tax bill exceeds $10,000 — the highest in the country. Saphier’s farmland designation allows her to pay roughly $40 for the same acreage.
Jack Curtis, a member of the State Farmland Evaluation Committee that oversees the program, expressed alarm at Saphier’s arrangement. Upon seeing photos of her 26-room mansion with an in-ground pool, home theater with 13 seats, yoga studio, and wine room, Curtis said the estate was the “poster child” for what he views as abuse of the law.
“If you want privacy and you want 10 acres of land surrounding your estate, great — good for you,” Curtis told Politico. “But pay your taxes. That’s all.”
The farmland tax designation program has faced criticism from Democrats, Republicans, and environmentalists in New Jersey — particularly when wealthy non-farmers exploit it to reduce tax obligations. The program was designed to preserve agricultural land, not provide tax shelters for mansion owners.
Notably, the property carried no farmland designation when Saphier purchased it in 2023, according to property deeds reviewed by Politico.
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