Chris Christie Spent $82,000 of Taxpayer Money on Food at NFL Games
Chris Christie, the presumed presidential candidate and jet-setting freeloader currently in charge of New Jersey, spent a staggering $82,594 of taxpayer money on snacks at MetLife Stadium during NFL games, according to a report by WatchDog.org.
Each year, Christie receives $95,000 in expense advances in addition to his $175,000 salary. (This, of course, does not include the tens of thousands in perks he receives from billionaires in the forms of travel on board private jets and hotel suites). The details of how the $95,000 is spent had largely remained a mystery until WatchDog.org obtained the governor’s ledger via the Open Public Records Act.
Christie’s most notable spending spree occurred during the 2010 and 2011 NFL football seasons at MetLife Stadium, where the New York’s Giants and Jets play their home games. New Jersey’s governor traditionally enjoys free use of luxury boxes for games and other events at the government-owned venue, but food and beverages cost extra.
On 58 occasions, Christie used a debit card to pay a total of $82,594 to Delaware North Sportservice, which operates the concessions at MetLife. The governor’s office did not provide any receipts, business reasons or names of individuals entertained, but defended the expense.
Perhaps realizing spending 80 grand of the public’s money on hot dogs and beer at football games is not exactly the sort of behavior that endears candidates to national voters, the
New Jersey Republican State Committee reimbursed the state Treasury in March 2012.
UPDATE 12:58 pm: Because Delaware North Sportservice also handles all retail sales at the stadium, it’s possible that Christie used some of the $82,000 to purchase NFL merchandise at the games.
