Report: NJ Taxpayers Have Spent More Than $250,000 On Christie Travel Expenses This Year

NEWARK, N.J. (CBSNewYork) - New Jersey taxpayers have reportedly spent more than $250,000 protecting Gov. Chris Christie on the presidential campaign trail so far this year.

Christie's campaign has said they won't pay them back, WCBS 880's Jim Smith reported.

In the second quarter of 2015, taxpayers spent $89,000 to pay for travel-related expenses for Christie's security detail. That puts the cumulative total for 2015 is more than $273,000, according to the Bergen Record. That includes expenses from prior to Christie officially entering the 2016 presidential race, Smith reported.

Listen to Report: NJ Taxpayers Have Spent More Than $250,000 On Christie Travel Expenses

Montclair State Political Science Professor Brigid Harrison told WCBS 880 the expenses could give Christie's Republican opponents some ammunition in the campaign, Smith reported.

"This comes, for the governor, in a political context that demonstrates that he has not been particularly careful with taxpayer money when it comes to these kind of expenditures," Harrison said.

A trio of advocacy groups are suing Christie over the use of taxpayer dollars to cover the costs of his security detail while on the campaign trail.