Christie’s lt. gov calls for sale of governor’s beach house

New Jersey Lt. Gov. Kim Guadagno (R) is proposing the state get rid of the beach house given to governors after Gov. Chris Christie (R) made headlines for traveling to the property after ordering state beaches and parks closed last week.

“I’ve never thought there should be a beach house for the governor,” Guadagno told NJ Advance Media in a text message on Friday. “I think it should be sold.”

Guadagno’s comments come after reports that a New Jersey lawmaker proposed a bill that would allow the public to rent out the governor’s beach house, and a second bill would ban the governor from using the beach house during a state government shutdown.

{mosads}Guadagno, the Republican nominee to replace Christie in 2017, blasted Christie for his beach visit last week.

“If I were governor, I sure wouldn’t be sitting on the beach if taxpayers didn’t have access to state beaches. It’s beyond words,” Guadagno said in a Facebook post.

Christie stirred controversy last week for staying at the state-owned Island Beach State Park less than a day after ordering state parks and beaches closed due to a government shutdown.

He defended his stay in the park amid the closures, saying being governor gives him those perks.

“That’s because the governor has a residence at Island Beach. Others don’t,” Christie reportedly said at a news conference. “It’s just the way it goes. Run for governor and then you can have the residence.”

.@AndyMills_NJ gets pics of Christie lounging on a state beach closed to the public during government shutdown https://t.co/FVfC5jkCdQ pic.twitter.com/kO1tDjOYM1

— Chris Megerian (@ChrisMegerian) July 2, 2017

At a news conference last week, Christie was asked if he had spent any time in the sun during his visit to the residence. 

“I didn’t,” he said, according to NJ.com. “I didn’t get any sun today.”

But when shown the photos of Christie and his family on the beach, Christie spokesman Brian Murray acknowledged the governor had spent time on the beach. 

“Yes, the governor was on the beach briefly today, talking to his wife and family before heading into the office. He did not get any sun. He had a baseball hat on,” Murray said.