Former New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie has denied reports that he attempted to evade a security checkpoint at the Newark Liberty International Airport on Thursday, despite public statements from Port Authority officials claiming otherwise.
CBS New York reported Thursday that the former governor, who just had his last day in office Tuesday, attempted to enter the airport through a special access area with his state police escort that he reportedly used when he was governor. A Port Authority officer stopped Christie from using that entrance and escorted him to the regular entrance, according to a Port Authority official who spoke with CBS. Christie was reportedly cooperative.
But Christie denied the claims in a tweet Thursday evening, calling the stories “absolutely false” and saying he was led to one entrance by a Port Authority officer, but was then informed by the TSA that it was the wrong entrance and he was directed to a different gate.
“Neither option was the way I entered the airport as Governor (wrong in the story) and PAPD officer never denied me entry at either place (also wrong in story),” he said.
Absolutely false story about my travel today. NJSP security detail & I were led to one entrance in the airport by PAPD officer. TSA informed PAPD and NJSP that this was the wrong way to enter and directed us to another entrance where I was screened & admitted to the airport(1/2)
— Governor Christie (@GovChristie) January 18, 2018
Neither option was the way I entered airport as Governor(wrong in the story) and PAPD officer never denied me entry at either place (also wrong in story). He was a gentleman assisting my security detail. When he got the right info he took me to the right place. Pure fiction.(2/2)
— Governor Christie (@GovChristie) January 18, 2018
Unflattering headlines are nothing new for the embattled former governor who served a tumultuous eight years as governor and left with a shameless 15 percent approval rating. Christie was replaced by Democrat Phil Murphy, who was sworn in on Tuesday.
