The New York Times reported Tuesday that Trump paid $5 million, or 17 cents on the dollar, in a settlement of nearly $30 million in overdue taxes owed by casinos he founded.
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Brian Murray, a spokesman for Christie, said the governor was not aware of the tax dispute and thus could not comment.
Trump had a troubled past as a casino operator in Atlantic City that led to $30 million tax debt to New Jersey.
The newspaper said it uncovered the deal while reviewing thousands of documents related to the five bankruptcies filed by the company founded by Trump, now the Republican nominee for president. Wednesday’s cover article was a deep dive into an apparent sweet deal that then New Jersey Governor Chris Christie gave to Trump on his mounting casino tax debt that was plaguing his business.
The court battle between the state and Trump prior to Christie’s election hinged on a corporate tax called the alternative minimum assessment, which the Times described was implemented to “prevent businesses from avoiding taxes through accounting maneuvers”.
Trump contributed $350,000 to the Republican Governors Association in 2014, a donation made at Christie’s request, Trump has said.
Vincent Mazzeo, Democratic state assemblyman representing New Jersey’s 2nd legislative district.
Christie was also a leading candidate to be Trump’s running mate before he chose Indiana Gov. Mike Pence.
The Times report says “the steep discount granted to the Trump casinos and the relationship between the two men raise inevitable questions about special treatment”.
Trump’s problems with the state intensified in February 2007, when the state filed papers in court saying auditors had discovered discrepancies that raised “numerous additional questions regarding the accuracy” of the Trump casinos’ tax returns.
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