Democrats threatened to make Republican lawmakers' staff, the minority party, eat the cut, but Christie quietly restored the money through an obscure accounting procedure
Gov. Chris Christie speaks at a luncheon for delegates at the annual League of Municipalities meeting in Atlantic City. Sources say Christie quietly restored money he originally cut from the budget due to Democrats threatening to cut the Republicans staff budget.TRENTON — After Democratic lawmakers sent Gov. Chris Christie a budget he didn’t like on June 30, he took out his veto pen and sliced $900 million.
The Republican governor then added an unprecedented jab at Democrats who control the Legislature by cutting $3.8 million from lawmakers’ staff salaries.
But after the Democrats threatened to make Republican lawmakers’ staff eat the cut, Christie quietly restored the money through an obscure accounting procedure that did not require legislative approval, high ranking Democratic lawmakers told The Star-Ledger. It happened in late July, they said.
"He put his own legislators in an awkward situation," said Senate Budget Chairman Paul Sarlo (D-Bergen). "The Republican legislators recognized they were in the minority and that their staffs and ability to deliver constituent services would be completely diminished."
Democrats did not publicly complain about Christie’s cuts to the Legislature, even if they privately seethed. Instead, they focused on cuts to programs for the poor, sexually abused children and aid to struggling cities.
But behind the scenes, they had a trump card. Senate President Stephen Sweeney (D-Gloucester) and Assembly Speaker Sheila Oliver (D-Essex) control the Legislature’s purse strings — including what goes to the Republicans’ Trenton office and leadership funds. If Christie really wanted to cut staff salaries, they suggested it was his own party that would suffer the brunt of the cuts. "I am certainly not going to shoot myself in the foot," Oliver said at the time.
Senate Majority Leader Barbara Buono (D-Middlesex) said Christie diverted the money on July 27 from a $96 million salary account set aside for contractual raises for state workers.
"I assume it had to be done at the direction of the governor because it was a political, not managerial decision. They took the $3.8 million from there and restored the money the governor impulsively cut," she said. "He created a problem for some staff positions and they were trying to figure out a way to restore that funding without having to go through the Legislature."
Andy Pratt, communications director for the Department of Treasury, would not say if the governor directed funds to be restored to the Legislature from any salary account, and referred questions to the governor’s office.
Christie spokesmen Kevin Roberts and Michael Drewniak did not respond to multiple requests for comment.
Assembly Minority Leader Alex DeCroce (R-Morris) said he did not discuss restoring the funds with Christie, but said "everybody knew" the Republicans’ money was in jeopardy.
"I don’t know what kind of deal was reached but I know I got my funding," he said.
Senate Minority Leader Tom Kean, Jr. (R-Union) refused to answer a request for comment. His spokesman, Adam Bauer, would only say "we weren’t instructed to lay anyone off."
Sweeney and Oliver did not return calls seeking comment.
Staff writer Jarrett Renshaw contributed to this report.