© Adrees Latif / Reuters
Gov. Chris Christie’s New Jersey tax collectors let Donald Trump off the hook for almost $25 million in back taxes, according to The New York Times. In 2010, New Jersey auditors had been working for years to collect overdue taxes—totaling nearly $30 million—owed by Trump’s casinos in the state. New Jersey had pursued the issue aggressively for nearly six years, including at one point accusing the company of filing false reports with its casino regulators. But then, the Times reports, Christie took office, and the state agreed instead to accept just $5 million to settle the matter. According to the Times, tax authorities will agree to settle for a lesser amount to avoid further costly litigation, but the nature of the discount—and Trump’s friendship with Christie—raises eyebrows about special treatment. David Skeel, a professor at the University of Pennsylvania who specialized in bankruptcy law, told the Times, “You can’t tell whether there’s something problematic, but it’s pretty striking that this one was written down so much.” Trump and Christie met in 2002. A spokesman for Christie said he is unaware of the tax issue and cannot comment on the settlement.