New Jersey beachgoers saw their governor’s name come out of a blue sky on Monday as Chris Christie faced heightening scrutiny after he was caught spending time at a beach he closed to the public.
A plane carrying a banner that read “tell Gov. Chris Christie: Get the hell off Island Beach State Park” drew cheers and applause as it was flown along the coast of New Jersey Monday, one day after photos caught Christie sitting on a beach outside the governor’s summer house that was closed due to a government shutdown.
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The plane that flew the banner was paid for by Joshua Henne, a political consultant based in New Jersey, according to The New York Daily News.
“The banner speaks for itself,” he told the newspaper.
“Ultimately, Chris Christie will be defined by a bridge and a beach.”
Christie was spotted at Island Beach State Park by NJ.com, sitting on a beach chair with no one but his family around.
“I didn’t get any sun today,” Christie said at a news conference on Monday.
Then his spokesman was notified about the photos — and the spokesman said Christie spoke the truth because he was wearing a hat.
READ MORE: Chris Christie caught spending day at beach he closed to the public
The governor defended using the beach by saying that he previously disclosed his vacation plans and said the media only caught him “keeping his word.”
But he showed up there after he ordered all non-essential state services to be shut down during the Fourth of July holiday weekend — that included beaches, parks and motor vehicle offices.
They were shut down due to a stalemate after Christie demanded that Horizon Blue Cross Shield, a non-profit health insurer, be overhauled so that the state could tap into its surplus as a way to finance drug treatment.
The government shutdown that forced the beach’s closure ended Monday, NJ.com reported.
Beaches will now be open on Wednesday, in time for the Fourth of July weekend.
- With files from The Associated Press
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