TRENTON — Gov. Chris Christie has dismissed efforts by state Sen. Loretta Weinberg to curb his private travel, saying today her suggestion he give written notice whenever he goes out of state was "just politics." Weinberg (D-Bergen) introduced legislation Monday that would require a governor to give one day’s notice if he left the state for political or personal...
TRENTON — Gov. Chris Christie has dismissed efforts by state Sen. Loretta Weinberg to curb his private travel, saying today her suggestion he give written notice whenever he goes out of state was "just politics."
Weinberg (D-Bergen) introduced legislation Monday that would require a governor to give one day’s notice if he left the state for political or personal trips.
Christie, who frequently passes power temporarily to Lt. Gov. Kim Guadagno when he leaves the state, said today his office already sends letters to Guadagno and legislators when he expects to be out of New Jersey overnight. In two cases, he said, his counsel’s office had failed to do that.
But daylong trips across state lines to political events just merit a call to Guadagno, he said.
"If it’s intraday — I go to Philadelphia to give a speech," he said. "I go to New York to give a speech. I go to Colorado to give a speech. We don’t send letters."
Democrats have criticized Christie for flying to Vail, Colo., in June to address conservatives at an event hosted by billionaire oil tycoons David and Charles Koch, in a daylong round-trip that only came to light when a national magazine obtained a leaked audio recording of Christie’s speech.
Christie dismissed Weinberg’s pursuit of his travel details as hypocritical.
He said his press office had typically listed some political events on his daily schedule, until Weinberg had criticized that practice in 2010.
As for asking the governor to notify legislators in writing rather than just calling Guadagno, Christie said of Weinberg: "I understand. She’d really love to be lieutenant governor, and she’s not. So every chance she gets to stick it to me, she does."
Weinberg, who unsuccessfully ran for lieutenant governor with former Democratic Gov. Jon S. Corzine in 2009, called Christie’s criticism "a playground taunt."
"I’m very happy being a state senator," she said. "I’m delighted we created a lieutenant governor position, and I’m delighted it’s a woman."
She said she had criticized the "promoting" of a Christie appearance at an Ocean County Republican rally on his public schedule in July 2010.
"I called attention to the governor’s office promoting political events in New Jersey — not out of state — to hype up fund raising," she said. "That’s an entirely separate issue. When he is out of state, the residents of New Jersey have a right to know."
By Juliet Fletcher/Statehouse Bureau Staff
Previous coverage:
• Sen. Loretta Weinberg requests 24-hour notice prior to governor's out-of-state political travels
• Lt. Gov. Kim Guadagno has assumed governorship at least 26 times since taking office