TRENTON, NJ — Gov. Chris Christie on Monday vetoed an attempt to force President Trump to release his tax returns, calling the proposed legislation a "transparent political stunt masquerading as a bill" and "politics at its worst."

The legislation would have prohibited general election candidates for president and vice-president from appearing on a New Jersey ballot unless they file a copy of their federal income tax returns for the five most recent years. Trump has refused to release his tax returns, saying he won't do so while they're under audit. Christie, a strong Trump ally who was one of the first high-profile Republicans to endorse him last year, has publicly supported Trump's effort to keep them concealed.

Christie, calling the legislation passed by the Democrat-controlled legislature two months ago "unconstitutional," suggested that the bill's supporters are Trump critics who are desperate. "Unwilling to cope with the results of last November's election, the legislature introduced this unconstitutional bill as a form of therapy to deal with their disbelief at the 2016 election results, and to play politics to their base," Christie said in a statement.

Assemblyman John McKeon, a Democrat from Essex-Morris, said the veto is another example of how Christie is "obsessed" with protecting Trump. "This bill wasn't about President Trump. 2016 is over," McKeon said in a statement. "Donald Trump is the president. This bill was about going forward, yet all Gov. Christie can think about is his ally Donald Trump. Sad!"

McKeon said the people of the United States "deserve to know where presidential candidates earn their money. They deserve to know the business ties of those seeking the highest office in the land. They deserve to know to whom candidates owe money and why."



"This has and will continue to be about requiring transparency for those seeking the White House," he said. "Gov. Christie may not have signed it, but this debate will continue and hopefully the next governor will be more willing to do the right thing." Christie shot back, saying that the bill's supporters rejected efforts to make its requirements applicable to state-elected officials as well.