Matt Friedman reports for Politico – NJ

New Jersey sold $300 million in bonds to finance Gov. Chris Christie’s controversial Statehouse renovation on the same day the Economic Development Authority approved it, outraging four state lawmakers who are suing to stop the renovation.

Senators Christopher “Kip” Bateman, Michael Doherty and Raymond Lesniak called out the Christie administration in a press release Wednesday. Doherty and Bateman are Republicans. Lesniak is a Democrat who’s running for governor. 

The Christie administration said in court Wednesday that the state sold the bonds May 11, the same day the EDA authorized the bonding after less than five minutes of questioning from board members.

“In an effort to avoid transparency and accountability, the governor must have set a new record for the speed with which bonds were sold after the NJEDA rubber-stamped his expensive renovation plan,” Doherty said in a statement. “This is a clear sign that the Christie Administration didn’t want to give legislators or the public even a moment to review or challenge this expensive State House renovation.”