Christie's public records battles cost state $900K, report says
TRENTON -- Gov. Chris Christie's administration's attempts to keep records out of public view cost more than $450,000 over the past two years, bringing the total since 2012 to more than $900,000, according to a report in The Record.
The report shows the amount New Jersey taxpayers are on the hook for to settle court cases in which the administration tried to stop records from being made public continues to climb as Christie prepares to enter his eighth year as governor.
Last year, records obtained by NJ Advance Media found the state paid $153,945 in 2015 to reimburse attorneys for members of the public and news organizations in seven open records request lawsuits.
The state has to pay because a judge can force New Jersey to cover legal fees if it's determined documents were unlawfully denied under the state's Open Public Records Act.
Read more: http://www.nj.com/politics/index.ssf/2016/12/christies_public_records_battles_cost_state_900k_r.html