Chris Christie, the governor of New Jersey and a potential candidate in the 2016 presidential race, has spent around $300,000 of taxpayer money during the last five years on food, drinks and desserts, according to a new analysis.
Researchers at Watchdog.org got a glimpse of a half-decade worth of
receipts from Christie’s office and revealed that the Garden
State Republican didn't shy away from using an annual allowance
of $95,000 to cover extra costs while in office.
Although Christie receives a governor's salary of $175,000 a
year, he's also awarded an allowance of around half of that to be
used on official but vaguely defined purposes that may include
hosting state receptions, maintaining official residences and
other expenses. He spent $360,000 of that sum during his five
years in office, and an analysis of those records showed that
roughly $300,000 from the allocation – or around 80 percent – has
gone towards food and alcohol, according to the group.
Christie buys $300K of food & booze with NJ expense account, including $82K at NFL games - http://t.co/j7qxtYjFRu
— NJWatchdog (@NJWatchdog) May 11, 2015
Among the major recipients of Christie’s allowance, the group
reported, were supermarket chain Wegmans, where the mayor racked
up $76,373 in charges during 53 shopping trips, and Delaware
North Sportservice, the company that operates the concessions at
the MetLife sports stadium in East Rutherford, NJ. Christie used
a debit card linked to it to pay more than $82,000 to DNS over
the course of 58 occasions during that five-year-span.
In all, the account was used to buy $102,495 worth of groceries
and alcoholic beverages from retail stores.
READ MORE: Christie advisor guilty in ‘Bridgegate’ – DoJ
Along itemized in the expense reports are $109,133 on catering,
$35,027 on tents and rental equipment, $10,786 for office
supplies, $6,536 at seven visits to ShopRite’s liquor stores and
$4,338 on candy, cookies and confectionary.
Watchdog.org says the governor's office did not provide any
receipts or further documentation to itemize those costs, but
defended the expenses. The New Jersey Republican State Committee
cut a check to reimburse the costs of the sports complex trips in
March 2012, the group reported, and the governor has kept from
using his account at that venue and others in the time since.
“The official nature and business purpose of the event
remains the case regardless of whether the event is at the State
House, Drumthwacket or a sporting venue,” Christie press
secretary Kevin Roberts said in a statement.