Pictured: Chris Christie takes in a 2010 Giants game

Pictured: Chris Christie takes in a 2010 Giants game

This is absolutely one of my favorite things of 2015: Chris Christie reportedly used over $82k of his taxpayer-funded allowance – “an allowance of funds not otherwise appropriated and used for official receptions on behalf of the state, the operation of an official residence, for other expenses” – at MetLife Stadium.

From the NY Daily News:

According to New Jersey Watchdog, the Garden State Republican — and potential 2016 candidate — spent $82,594 of his taxpayer-funded allowance on concessions at MetLife Stadium, the New Jersey complex where the New York Giants and New York Jets play, over the course of the 2010 and 2011 NFL football seasons.

But, according to New Jersey Watchdog, Christie didn’t submit receipts or accounting for any of the money he spent, arousing suspicion. The news agency only obtained access to the receipts by use of an Open Public Records Act request.

The governor’s office has maintained that Christie spent the money on concessions for official use.

And from New Jersey Watchdog, which broke the report:

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.

“The official nature and business purpose of the event remains the case regardless of whether the event is at the State House, Drumthwacket or a sporting venue,” said Christie’s press secretary Kevin Roberts in a prepared statement.

To avoid a potential scandal that could embarrass their rising political star, the New Jersey Republican State Committee reimbursed the Treasury in March 2012 for Christie’s purchases from “DNS Sports.”  Since then, the governor has refrained from using his expense account at MetLife and other sports venues.

It looks like he simply solved this “problem” by befriending Jerry Jones and becoming a Cowboys fan… which of course led to another terrible conflict of interest.

The best part is that though Christie’s office argues a business case for entertaining at sporting events (fair enough, because luxury box concessions are outrageously priced and can get you to $82k a lot quicker than you might think), he spent over $100k of the supplemental income on groceries and alcohol from 2010-2015. Of course Christie will argue a business case there, too, but the rate of those charges slowed in 2013 after he underwent lap-band surgery. Sounds like Jabba the Gov was just hungry.

I kinda want Christie to become President just for sheer entertainment purposes so we can see the fallout when he blows defense funds on building a Popeyes atop Michelle Obama’s vegetable garden.