Christie Allowed To Conceal $1M In Amex Travel Expenses

A New Jersey court says Gov. Chris Christie can conceal American Express bills that show how his state police security team charged more than $1 million to pay for out-of-state travel.

State Superior Court Judge Mary C. Jacobson dismissed a public records suit by New Jersey Watchdog on Friday, ruling that details of past expenses for food, lodging and transportation could create a potential security risk for the governor in the future.

“The court finds the general interest of the public to have a breakdown pales in comparison,” Jacobson told New Jersey Watchdog and others during a hearing in Mercer County Superior Court.

As a result, state taxpayers “may never learn how the money was spent,” according to the New Jersey Watchdog website.

The report comes from a website that is part of a national chain called Watchdog.org, which targets government spending, waste and corruption. The New Jersey site is operated by prominent investigative journalist Mark Lagerkvist, a former special projects reporter at The Asbury Park Press who also worked at CNBC.

Patch republishes New Jersey Watchdog’s information with permission.

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The Executive Protection Unit travel expenses increased with the frequency of Christie’s out-of-state trips to pursue his political ambitions, including his run for the White House. Last year, costs totaled $494,420 as the governor traveled outside New Jersey for more than 100 days, according to New Jersey Watchdog. That sum is 22 times more than the $21,704 spent in 2009, former Gov. Jon Corzine’s last year in office.

Jacobson based her decision on a confidential sworn statement provided by Capt. Kevin Cowan, head of the EPU. “He unequivocally swears in that certification that release of the information would increase the risk of harm to the governor,” said the judge.

New Jersey Watchdog’s lawyer was not allowed to view or question that evidence, which makes any appeal difficult, according to the site.

The governor’s spending practices and gift-taking practices have come under fire before. In 2012, Sheldon G. Adelson, the billionaire casino owner and supporter of Israel, lent Christie his private plane so the governor could go on a trade mission to Israel, according to The New York Times.

But they’ve come under increasing scrutiny since Christie took steps to launch his presidential campaign, and has traveled extensively to some of the early 2016 primary and caucus states such as Iowa and New Hampshire. At the same time, he’s been criticized for spending too much time outside of New Jersey

Initially, it looked possible that Christie would have to reveal records of his security expenses after all.

Jacobson said as much two months ago, pointing to a YouTube video posted by the governor’s office from a town hall meeting during which Christie revealed security secrets - particularly the number of state troopers assigned to the Executive Protection Unit, according to New Jersey Watchdog.

Jacobson said she was “not convinced it is essential to the governor’s security to withhold details” and said the video “completely undermines” Christie’s reasons for refusing to turn over the documents to New Jersey Watchdog, according to the website.

The judge also criticized his attitude about security as “cavalier,” according to New Jersey Watchdog.

Photo: Christie met with Mexican President Enrique Peña Nieto in September. Photos from Tim Larsen, Office of Governor Chris Christie.