Summary: An aerial photographer spotted New Jersey Governor Chris lounging on a beach that he had closed to the public.
Most people think politicians are corrupt; and this holiday weekend, New Jersey Governor Chris Christie seemingly fit the stereotype. After closing down New Jersey’s state beaches, he was caught enjoying the sun with his family on the aforementioned closed beach. Worse, when asked about it, he lied until the press confronted him with photographic receipts.
On Sunday, theN Star-Ledger flew a plane over Island Beach State Park, which was empty except for a gaggle of Christie’s family members enjoying the sand as if it was their own private getaway. Amidst the happy people, Chris Christie can be clearly seen, sitting in a beach chair, wearing a hat and t-shirt.
Later that afternoon, Christie appeared at a press conference in Trenton, New Jersey, and he was asked if he had gotten any sun. Christie said, “I didn’t get any sun today,” but when the Star-Ledger photos surfaced, his spokesman clarified, “He did not get any sun. He had a baseball hat on.”
Republican Governor Christie defended using the closed state beach on Monday, and he told the pressStar-Ledger that his family did not use any state services and reminded them that the beach is near his residence.
Christie spoke to a local Fox News station, and he was sarcastic as he quipped that The Star-Ledger had “caught” him.
“What a great bit of journalism by The Star-Ledger. They actually caught a politician being where he said he was going to be with the people he said he was going to be with — his wife and his children and their friends,” Christie said. “I’m sure they’re going to get a Pulitzer for this. They caught me.”
When asked how other New Jersey residents could enjoy the closed beach like he did, Christie replied, “Run for governor, and you can have a residence there.”
On Friday, state beaches were closed due to a government shutdown. According to NPR, the state legislature, which is run by Democrats, failed to reach an agreement on the budget by their deadline, and the rift was partly because of a feud between Gov. Chris Christie and Assembly Speaker Vincent Prieto concerning health care reform.
Because no state budget was set on time, Christie was forced to close all non-essential state services such as parks and the Department of Motor Vehicles. New Jersey Transit, state prisons, the state police, state hospitals, and more remain open, but thousands of government employees are expected to be furloughed.
On Monday, an unrepentant Christie tweeted a reminder that municipal parks and beaches are open.
Christie’s second term as governor will end on January 2018. According to a poll from Quinnipiac University, Christie has a 15% approval rating amongst state voters, which Fox anchor Teresa Priolo said was “the worst approval rating for any governor in any state surveyed by Quinnipiac University in more than 20 years.”
Christie’s second-in-command, Lt. Gov. Kim Guadagno, wrote on social media that she disapproved of Christie’s callousness and called for the state government to end the shutdown immediately.
“If I were governor, I sure wouldn’t be sitting on the beach if taxpayers didn’t have access to state beaches. It’s beyond words,” Guadgno said. “We need to end the shutdown now. It’s hurting small businesses and ordinary New Jerseyans. Instead of political games, Governor Christie, Speaker Prieto and Senate President Sweeney should pass a budget that delivers property tax relief and puts taxpayers first.”