NEWARK – In the wake of Politico NJ’s report of a back and forth exchange of letters by the Governor-elect and the departing Governor, Phil Murphy stood by his reading of a $1.8 billion budget shortfall.

“Financial stabilization is job number one,” Murphy told reporters in a gaggle immediately following his press conference with Senators Bob Menendez and Cory Booker.

Governor Chris Christie disputed Murphy’s assessments, and tried to rebut them in an angry four-page letter.

According to Politico, “Christie, a Republican, labeled Murphy’s claim of $854 million in projected fund lapses ‘fiction,’ saying the real figure was projected to be $229 million, although he acknowledged it will grow. As for the $200 million in revenue from increased tax collections, Christie said these revenues associated with the tax modernization efforts were ‘among the most certain’ of the projections.”

“That was quite a letter,” Murphy said today of Christie’s missive.