New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie continues to live large as a sports junkie with an expensive habit – especially when he can stick taxpayers, political donors, powerful friends or someone else with the bill.
Last week, Christie scored a spot behind the home bench of the Cleveland Cavaliers during Game 3 of the NBA Finals series with the Golden State Warriors. Similar seats were offered for as much as $22,000 each through secondary markets. Ohio State football coach Urban Meyer sat next to the New Jersey governor.
The price of Christie’s ticket was paid by his political action committee, Leadership Matters in America. Spokeswoman Samantha Smith confirmed the PAC paid for the governor’s trip to Ohio, where he attended private and fundraising meetings earlier on June 9.
The costs of the ticket and trip were not disclosed. The PAC, funded through contributions, is not scheduled to file its semi-annual financial report to the Federal Election Commission until July 31.
It was just the latest in the governor’s line-up of sports junkets.
Last month, New Jersey Watchdog revealed Christie spent more than $80,000 from his state expense account on concessions at MetLife Stadium during the 2010 and 2011 NFL seasons.
Christie’s debit card was used 58 times to charge $82,594 to Delaware North Sportservice, the food and beverage vendor at MetLife. The expenses did not include his free use of luxury boxes, traditionally available to governors at the state-owned venue.
The full story is online at http://watchdog.org/224244/christie-political-games/.
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