Two State Assembly members plan to introduce legislation today to force the governor to publicly reveal how he spends his $95,000 annual expense account.
The allowance, which Gov. Chris Christie receives in addition to his $175,000 a year salary, is not expressly subject to reporting under current state law. Last month, the governor’s office refused to release the expense records to New Jersey Watchdog.
The bill sponsored by Troy Singleton, D-Burlington, and Vince Mazzeo, D-Atlantic, would require the governor to provide receipts and expenditure details. In the state budget, the account is listed as “an allowance of funds not otherwise appropriated and used for official receptions on behalf of the state, the operation of an official resident, for other expenses.”
“This proposal further heightens the fiscal transparency requirements that the citizens of our state demand of its public officials,” said Singleton. “By mandating that the details of this allowance be part of the public record, we will enable the people of New Jersey to hold this governor and all future governors accountable.”
The report, due on July 15 each year, would be posted on the State Ethics Commission web site.
“New Jersey taxpayers have every right to know where their hard-earned money goes,” said Mazzeo (D-Atlantic). “Any governor who makes a responsible and appropriate use of this expense account should have no objection to complying with what’s required under this bill.”
The payments from the state were not reported on Christie’s federal income tax returns from 2010 to 2013. A spokesman for the governor said the allowance does not have to be counted as income under IRS regulations because Christie can account for how the money is spent.
The Singleton-Mazzeo bill would require the governor to be accountable to New Jersey taxpayers, as well as the IRS.
The story is online at http://watchdog.org/216296/christie-expense-account/.
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