TRENTON — Gov. Chris Christie has taken the state helicopter 35 times since taking office in January 2010, including to survey flood and storm damage, according to State Police.
State Police Superintendent Col. Rick Fuentes released a statement arguing the flights don't cost the taxpayer anything.
Fuentes said the time police pilots fly the governor count as training time.
"It is important to understand that State Police helicopters fly daily homeland security missions, and use flight time for training purposes, more so lately as we acclimate our pilots to the new aircraft," Fuentes.
Fuentes said because of this, the flights have no extra cost to the taxpayers.
"Therefore, there is no additional cost to taxpayers or the State Police budget, nor is there any interference with our daily mission by adding the state’s chief executive to any of these trips," Fuentes said. "Any flights transporting the Governor would be subordinated to priority needs for our aircraft including rescue and emergent law enforcement missions."
Fuentes pointed out that Christie is on duty 24 hours a day
"His transportation, safety and security are my responsibility, and he therefore travels with the State Police Executive Protection Unit, whether on state or personal business," Fuentes said in a statement. "As part of our long-standing security protocol, the EPU provides secure, protected travel by vehicle in the overwhelming majority of the Governor’s business and personal travel, except in those rare instances when the Governor’s schedule warrants use of air travel."
On Tuesday, Christie used a state police helicopter to fly to a baseball game in Bergen County, where his son Andrew was playing. He left the game, along with First Lady Mary Pat Christie aboard the helicopter. An hour and half later, he arrived via car at Drumthwacket, the governor's mansion in Princeton, for a meeting with a group of GOP donors from Iowa who were trying to court him to run for president in 2012.
Christie's trip yesterday included one hour of flight time, which costs $2,500, said State Police spokesman Sgt. Stephen Jones.
The helicopter left downtown Trenton, flew to the field in Montvale for the baseball game, and then flew to Princeton. Jones did not specify the exact landing sites.
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