
Chris Christie has brushed off criticism after he and his family vacationed on a public beach he'd shut down due to a budget standoff, saying he'd already announced his vacation and the press had merely 'caught a politician keeping his word.'

The brazen New Jersey governor was spotted by NJ Advance Media sunning himself on a huge stretch of empty shoreline on Island Beach State Park, along with wife Mary Pat and other members of his family on Sunday.

Meanwhile, thousands of members of the public were rammed onto beaches a couple of miles up the shore trying their best to enjoy the holiday weekend.

Christie, 54, said that he announced on Monday his intention to vacation at the governor's mansion regardless of whether the state could agree on a budget, so he was just keeping good on that promise.

To add insult to injury, he then headed back to Trenton in the state helicopter to hold a news conference about the government shutdown where he told reporters with no irony that he 'didn't get any sun today'.

When these pictures - which show Christie sprawled out on a sun chair in shorts and T-shirt - revealed that claim to be an outright lie, his spokesman claimed that the governor takes sun-screen seriously and that he meant that his baseball hat had protected him.

'Yes, the governor was on the beach briefly today talking to his wife and family before heading into the office,' the spokesman, Brian Murray, told NJ.com. 'He did not get any sun. He had a baseball hat on.'

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Life's a beach: Chris Christie was photographed lounging with his family (pictured: wife Mary Pat and eldest son Andrew) on the beach at Island Beach State Park, whch he had closed ahead of Independence Day because of a budget shutdown

A whale of a time: The governor and his family sunned themselves and frolicked in the sea while citizens approaching the park were turned away

Park it: The park's police were blocking off entry to the general public - even though it is paid for by taxes - while Christie and his family lounged in the sun

Nice work if you can get it: Christie was able to enjoy the beach, which is located next to the governor's summer house. When asked about his fun in the sun, he said: 'Run for governor and you can have the residence'

Sand in your eye: All of New Jersey's state-run beaches and parks have been shut down due to a budget freeze; Christie said he wasn't using any 'services'

Turned away: New Jersey State Park police block the entrance to Bulls Island state recreation area and don't allow a woman access

On Monday, Christie's deputy, Republican Lt. Gov. Kim Guadagno, lashed out at the governor, saying his use of the park was 'beyond words'.

Guadagno, who is running to succeed Christie as governor, said she wouldn't be 'sitting on the beach' if taxpayers also didn't have access to state beaches.

Democratic gubernatorial nominee Phil Murphy also weighed in Monday, calling on Christie to get off the beach and get back to work.

Christie himself laughed off the criticism in an interview with Fox 5, mocking the newspaper that first reported his mini-vacation by saying: 'What a great bit of journalism by The Star-Ledger.

'They actually caught a politician being where he said he was going to be with the people he said he was going to be with, his wife and children and their friends.

'I am sure they will get a Pulitzer for this one. They caught me doing what I said I was going to do with the people I said I was going to be with.'

He added: 'The governor has two residences in New Jersey. One down at the beach, at Island Beach State Park, and one at Drumthwacket, which also is in Princeton.'

'The governor is allowed to go to his residences and I'm at my residences. I'll tell you this, I said last Monday, a week ago today, that no matter what happens, we were coming here as a family this weekend.'

HOW THE GOVERNOR WAS SPOTTED The sensational photos of Christie sunning it up on a pristine stretch of state-run sand were taken by NJ Advance Media for its NJ.com website and print newspaper the Star-Ledger. But they might not have happened at all if it wasn't for a sound journalistic hunch. Photographer Andrew Mills had originally intended to fly above Island Beach State Park in Berkeley Township on Sunday in order to get snaps of both its empty beaches and its crowded neighboring strips, he explained on NJ.com. 'But when Sunday's weather looked good, and the governor's schedule was open except for an afternoon press briefing in Trenton, I wondered, "What are the chances ...?"' Mills said. The odds got considerably better when Mills met his pilot at Monmouth Executive Airport, 25 miles away, and spotted Christie's state-funded helicopter. 'The chopper was parked at the airport, instead of outside the mansion, where it would draw more attention,' Mills said. 'Maybe Christie was trying to lay low.' If he was, it wasn't low enough to avoid being spotted by the pair as they flew the mile-and-a-quarter distance from the edge of the state park to the governor's beachside summer house and saw Christie and his family on the sand. Christie appeared to spot them, too, as they made a second pass - slow and easy, so as not to spook their prey - over the expanse of sand. Nevertheless, the governor later told the press he had 'not got any sun.' When challenged with the incriminating photos, however, his spokesman claimed Christie had meant he had hidden himself from the sun's rays with his baseball cap. 'Well, that baseball cap might have protected him from the sun, but not from my lens,' Mills said. 'Or from his critics.' Advertisement

No fun in the sun: Due to the government shutdown, people were unable to enjoy Island Beach State Park this Independence Day weekend. This is how the beach normally looks

Empty beach: This photograph shows how much space the Christies had to spread out thanks to the governor shutting down the parks - affecting many people's holiday weekends

Christie ordered the shutdown of nonessential state services over the holiday weekend after he and the Democratic-controlled legislature were unable to agree on a budget to start the new fiscal year.

That meant parks, beaches and motor vehicle offices were unavailable to everyone for the Independence Day break.

The sticking point is Christie's demand that Horizon Blue Cross Blue Shield be overhauled so that the state can tap into the nonprofit insurer's surplus to finance drug treatment.

'Taxpayers can't use the parks and other public sites they pay for, but he and his family can hang out at a beach that no one else can use?' asked Mary Jackson, a Freehold resident walking through a mostly empty downtown near the Capitol in Trenton.

'Doesn't he realize how that looks, how people will see it as a slap in the face?'

Christie has blamed a top Democratic lawmaker for the shutdown, with the state plastering CLOSED signs at parks, along with Assembly Speaker Vincent Prieto's picture and office phone number.

Among those affected by the shutdown were Cub Scouts forced to leave a state campsite and people trying to obtain or renew motor vehicle documents.

Liberty State Park was closed, forcing the suspension of ticket sales and ferry service to the Statue of Liberty and Ellis Island - but the two sites themselves remained open.

Also running as normal are prisons, state police, state hospitals and New Jersey's bus and commuter railroads. The vast majority of beaches are open as well, since most are by towns up and down New Jersey's coast, not the state.

No entry: An officer explains to a man why he is unable to enjoy a holiday at the park

Christie also admitted that he was using a helicopter provided by the state to travel to and from the residence.

'I traveled there and I traveled back and I'll travel back again,' Christie said on Sunday. 'That's where my family is sleeping, so that's where I'll sleep tonight.

'When I have a choice between sleeping with my family, and sleeping alone, I generally like to sleep where my family is.'

'Run for governor, and you can have a residence there,' he added.

Christie's brazen attitude has led to speculation by CNN that the lame-duck governor, who failed in his presidential bid last year, no longer cares.

Certainly he can't expect re-election after it emerged in the middle of June that he had possibly the lowest approval rating of any governor in recent history.

A poll by Quinnipiac University said that Christie's approval rating was a dismal 15 per cent - the lowest of any governor they had ever polled.

How the Christie family saw it: Island Beach State Park is pictured here in the off-season

The poll said whopping 81 per cent also disapproved of the governor, who has been dogged by negative headlines in recent years, starting with the George Washington Bridge lane closing scandal, also known as Bridgegate, back in 2013.

That saw two of Christie's allies convicted and another pleading guilty for plotting to close lanes of traffic as revenge for the Democratic Mayor of Fort Lee, NJ, refusing to endorse Christie for the gubernatorial run that year.

Christie told reporters after his crushingly low polling ratings that he 'didn't care,' Politico reported at the time.

'The poll that matters is when people actually go in and vote,' he said.

'It would be nice if people actually polled voters or people who are likely to vote, because everybody else's opinion, quite frankly, doesn’t matter about whether you like a public official or you don't - unless you’re willing to move forward and exercise that preference at the polling places.'

On Monday angry members of the public took to social media to attack the governor, demanding to know why he was allowed to stay in a grace and favor beach home while the public had to deal with another political meltdown.

Incredible: Furious locals took to Twitter to deride the governor for his use of taxpayer-funded amenities while denying them to citizens who actually pay up he cash

Angry: John Holgerson said: 'He epitomizes what is wrong with politicians'

'Incompetent': Christie was accused of being incompetent by this user for not being able to get the budget agreed upon - and for then using the beach regardless of how it would look to others

'No matter when Chris Christie finally loses all credibility, it will be years too late,' wrote Sunflower, while John Holgerson fumed: 'He epitomizes what is wrong with politicians.'

Another user, Anna, wrote: 'NJ residents know! It's your tax dollars he's tanning himself on empty beaches while you and families that work hard can't use state parks.'

Joan O, said: 'Welcome 2 Trump's America, where only the in crowd, the kow-towing crowd, the silence of the lambs crowd gets the goodies.'

'#ChrisChristie had to close beaches in NJ bc he's incompetent, but has no problem using them with his family. In politics optics matter,' said Lin S.

M Miller said: 'Why do NJ tax payers provide a beach home for the gov? Can't pay teacher's pensions, but the gov is provided million dollar beach home.'

Questioning: M Miller asked: 'Why do NJ tax payers provide a beach home for the gov? Can't pay teacher's pensions, but the gov is provided million dollar beach home'

Knowledge: Many were upset that Christie still used taxpayer-funded services and amenities - not just the beach, but also the governor's mansion, which he flew to and from using a state-funded helicopter

On the lamb: One user, Joan O, said: 'Welcome 2 Trump's America, where only the in crowd, the kow-towing crowd, the silence of the lambs crowd gets the goodies'

In the pictures taken by NJ Advance Media five cars are seen filling the driveway of the gubernatorial six-bedroom house and while most of the family is lounging, there are a few sprinkling of children actually playing on the beach.

Christie - clad in a faded black shirt with charcoal swimming trunks and raven-colored hat - seemed to smile for the camera in a few of the shots.

He's surrounded by his family with some laid out tanning on towels and others, including his wife Mary Pat, sitting in beach chairs with the lame-duck governor.

Having flown in from Milwaukee, their oldest son, Andrew, was sitting right next to his parents and nestled what appears to be a can.

While on conference in Trenton, the lame-duck governor said that he didn't get any sun. His spokesman, Brian Murray (right) said: 'Yes, the governor was on the beach briefly today talking to his wife and family before heading into the office. He did not get any sun. He had a baseball hat on'

Holiday home: Five cars filled the driveway of the gubernatorial six-bedroom house, while most of the family (including the governor's wife, Mary Pat - pictured left in 2015) lounged on the beach outside

In other photos, empty bathing pavilions, parking lots and beaches line the shores of Island State Park clear signs of the nasty budget battle that took place in Trenton.

The photos had been taken mere hours before the governor was back in Trenton to discuss the shutdown.

The governor has asserted that the house is separate from the park and that he won't be using any state services while on the trip.

You can see the photos here.