Chris Christie Says Holiday Guest Lists a Secret

Gov. Chris Christie's office is refusing to make public the guest list for the Christmas holiday parties he threw in December at the governor's mansion.

The reason he gave? Releasing the list would pose a security risk that outweighs the public's right to know, according to the Star-Ledger. The newspaper had requested the information under the state's Open Public Records Act.

The governor's lawyers told the newspaper that the guest list is similar to the governor's private daily schedule. The courts have ruled that schedule can be shielded from the public, because a would-be attacker could use it to track his work patterns.

The governor's office says a party Dec. 19 was paid for by a $95,000 discretionary account and the others by the state Republican committee. The office noted that reporters attended the Dec. 19 event.

(Copyright 2013 by The Associated Press.  All Rights Reserved.)