Days After Christie Celebrates Cowboys Win With Owner Jerry Jones, Christie's Advocacy Of Jones' Business With 1 WTC Raises Eyebrows
NEW YORK (CBSNewYork) -- A new report alleges New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie advocated for one of Dallas Cowboys owner Jerry Jones' business interests to land a deal with the Port Authority.
Legends Hospitality LLC, which is owned in part by the Cowboys, was granted a contract to run the observation deck at Manhattan's One World Trade Center in 2013.
Legends Hospitality runs concessions at Dallas' AT&T Stadium as well as the home of the New York Yankees, who also own a stake in the company.
A report in the International Business Times said Christie "personally pushed" for the deal to go through.
However, Yankees president Randy Levine -- a Legends board member -- told the Wall Street Journal that neither Christie nor Jones were involved in the bidding process.
"To try and tie one to the other is silly," Levine said.
According to an April 2013 press release, both New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo and Christie called on the Port Authority Board of Commissioners to approve the agreement. The board went on to approve the deal.
Christie's Advocacy Of Jerry Jones' Business With 1 WTC Raises Eyebrows
A potential presidential candidate in 2016, Christie has come under fire for attending Cowboys games in Jones' owners box. Some heat has come from fans who would prefer the leader of the Garden State root for a team closer to home. Others wonder whether Christie -- a Dallas fan since childhood -- is walking a fine line when it comes to ethics rules in New Jersey.
"Governor Christie attended the game (Sunday night) as a guest of Jerry Jones, who provided both the ticket and transportation at no expense to New Jersey taxpayers," Christie spokesman Kevin Roberts told NJ.com.
Christie's representatives pointed NJ.com to an executive order that states N.J's governor "may accept gifts, favors, services, gratuities, meals, lodging or travel expenses from relatives or personal friends that are paid for with personal funds."
Christie was televised hugging Jones after the Cowboys' win on Sunday. The governor told WFAN radio on Monday that he hopes to attend the team's next playoff game in Green Bay, and Jones told 105.3 The Fan in Dallas Tuesday that the Cowboys need Christie's "mojo."
Jameson Doig, part of a panel tasked with fixing the Port Authority's ethics code, said Christie, already tarnished by Bridgegate, should be careful about sending the "wrong signal."
"The governor ought to do all he can to avoid that conflict of interest or the appearance of a conflict," Doig told the Wall Street Journal.
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