Republican presidential hopeful Chris Christie is being flagged for potential ethics violations critics say he may have committed by attending Dallas Cowboys football games.
Ethics groups say it was a conflict of interest for the New Jersey governor to accept free tickets and chartered flights to the Dallas Cowboys’ playoff games this month from team owner Jerry Jones.
The Campaign Legal Center, Democracy 21, and Public Citizen urged the New Jersey state ethics commission to investigate Christie’s football bash in a letter made public Tuesday.
They say the “personal friendship” exemption should not apply for Christie in this case.
"As was shown on national television, Gov. Christie sat in the skybox of Cowboys team owner Jerry Jones to watch the game,” the ethics groups wrote.
But Jones, who paid for Christie’s flight and football tickets, has business interests in New Jersey, the ethics groups allege.
Jones is a “significant stakeholder” in a company that received contracts with the nearby port authority only after it received Christie’s blessing, the ethics groups claim.
“According to press reports, Governor Christie personally pushed for the Port Authority to award the contract to Legends Hospitality LLC to operate the observation deck on the top floor of One World Trade Center,” the ethics groups wrote.
The ethics groups also point to Christie’s ties to the NFL that helped him secure last year’s Super Bowl in exchange for millions in tax breaks and security costs.
New Jersey regulations prohibit politicians from accepting gifts that could influence their decision making in an official capacity.
