By Michael Aron
Chief Political Correspondent
Mark Lagerqvist says Governor Christie already has a reputation for excessive spending.
“And it seems to be part of his pattern that when he goes on the road he spends a lot of money. The bottom line it seems to me is that Governor Christie is a high roller and a big spender when he’s spending other people’s money. And that kind of runs against the premise on which he became governor, where he was going to cut costs, be efficient and save the taxpayers money,” he said.
Lagerkvist is the investigative journalist for the website njwatchdog.org. He tried to get Judge Mary Jacobson to order the release of detailed security costs engendered by the governor’s travel. The governor’s office said that would undermine the governor’s security. Lagerkvist argues Christie spent $1.3 million from the start of his governorship through the first quarter of this year on state police protection while traveling.
“Of that they put $1.1 million on American Express cards and out suit tried to find out what that money was actually spent on because it just shows up as American Express,” he said.
Judge Jacobson sided with the governor’s office, after the head of the security detail asserted that disclosure would unequivocally undermine the governor’s safety. This despite the fact that Christie revealed some of those details himself when a young man asked him about it at a recent town hall.
“There’s 30 men and women who work for me, are members of the state police, and they’re members of the executive protection unit,” Christie said.
Christie’s travel is paid for by his political action committee, but the state picks up security.
Christie told reporters recently, “In the end, anywhere I go the troopers need to go whether I want them to go or not. So we’re going to continue to conduct this in the same way I’ve always conducted it.”
One of the other governors running for president, Scott Walker, pays for his security out of campaign funds. Bobby Jindal out of state funds like Christie, and John Kasich has not disclosed.
“We’re looking at what those expenses are exactly. What kind of meals? What kind of entertainment? What is out there that the taxpayers are paying for?” Bruce Rosen asked.
Rosen is a media lawyer who has sought similar open record information for New York and New Jersey Public Radio.
“This is a lot of money being spent for someone to carry on his own personal crusade to become the president,” he said.
While Judge Jacobson rejected the request for Amex bills, she did order the governor’s office to turn over its 2,500 person media contact list.
“Once again this is a list that’s been put together at taxpayer expense, and he seems to be the big beneficiary of it because he used this list to jump into the national spotlight and be the YouTube governor and get a national profile,” Lagerkvist said.
Judge Jacobson has riled the Christie Administration before on pension and gay marriage cases. On this OPRA case, she’s rendered a split decision.