New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie didn't let his state's government shutdown put a damper on his family's weekend plans.
Late last week Christie shut down the state's parks, recreation areas, forests and historic sites — including Island Beach State Park and Liberty State Park — over a state budget battle.
But on Sunday he and other members of his family were seen in aerial photos lounging by the water at Island Beach State Park, even though the public beach was closed off to the public.
Shortly after leaving the beach, the Republican governor was asked at a news conference if he had gotten any sun.
"I didn't," he responded. "I didn't get any sun today."
When Christie's spokesman Brian Murray was later told about the existence of the photos, Murray said "[Christie] did not get any sun ... He had a baseball hat on."The Christies are staying at the governor's residence at Island Beach State Park. He has defended their use of the facility amid the shutdown, saying they would not seek state services while there.
After pictures of the Christies relaxing on the otherwise empty beach went viral, Christie, in a mocking tone, called the issue "an incredible scandal."
"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," he said this morning in a phone interview with Fox 29.
"You can understand why a lot of people are upset," one of the hosts pressed.
"Well, I'm sorry they're not the governor," he retorted.
And in another interview this morning, Christie took a sarcastic tone.
"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," he told Fox5NY.
"I'm sure they're going to get a Pulitzer for this. They caught me," he said.
The majority of the state's beaches, which are managed by individual municipalities, are still available to beachgoers. Christie made that point in a Monday morning tweet.Christie, a former presidential candidate, has about six months left in his second term as governor. The state's constitution bars him from running for a third consecutive term.
