« Weekly Standard Blogger Says Swastika Vandalism At Dem's Office Could Be "Fake Hate Crime" | Home | Toomey: Town Halls Show "Political Extremism" -- Of The Democrats' Health Plan »
Corzine Camp Accuses Christie Of Abusing Office In U.S. Attorney Scandal
The campaign of Gov. Jon Corzine (D-NJ) is seizing on a newly-unsealed statement by Karl Rove, contained in the transcripts from the House Judiciary Committee, to accuse Republican nominee Chris Christie of having misused his former office as a U.S. Attorney.
"I talked to him twice in the last couple of years, perhaps one time while I was at the White House and once or twice since I left the White House," Rove said in 2007, "but -- not regarding his duties as U.S. Attorney, but regarding his interest in running for Governor, and he asked me questions about who -- who were good people that knew about running for Governor that he could talk to."
In a statement given to TPM, Corzine communications director Sean Darcy says:
It's pretty clear now that Christie was running a gubernatorial campaign out of the United States Attorney's office with the Bush White House and Bush's political brain, Karl Rove. Christie now has to answer a number of questions, including:
When did the planning start for his gubernatorial campaign?
Who was involved with the planning, including members of the United States Attorney's office?
How did all of this impact his investigations, including prosecutorial decisions?
Advertisement
Josh
Matt
Eric
Brian
Having just escaped NJ, I enjoy seeing Corzine flounder. He's another Goldman Sachs grad that thinks he's still master of the universe, and that people in NJ will be grateful for ever more taxation.
August 11, 2009 6:24 PM | Reply | Permalink
Corzine's in trouble but the very latest polls show him closing per the Kleefeld effect.
Better have some STATE issues to talk about. Abortion and Bush are great but unless Jersey's different from any other state I am familiar with, most voters will shrug and say "so what"
August 11, 2009 7:45 PM | Reply | Permalink
This American Life features extensive interviews with Christie this week over a controversial case from his tenure as a U.S. Attorney, the Hermant Lakhani case. It's a must-listen for NJ-GOV watchers. Go to thislife.org to hear.
August 11, 2009 8:35 PM | Reply | Permalink
I was wondering when Corzine would bring this up. But he's not going to the heart of the issue. Right before the 2006 election Christie subpoenaed records from a building that Senator Menendez rented to a non-profit that received federal funding. Since he supported the funding of the org, there was the allegation that the rent paid to him (at below market rates) amounted to a kick back. While this potential conflict occurred and was public knowledge for several years Christie decided to launch an investigation right before Menendez was up for reelection.
That's the sort of corruption that might get traction - I'm amazed that Corzine hasn't used it yet.
August 12, 2009 4:54 AM | Reply | Permalink
Does anyone remember how Senator Menendez was mysteriously under investigation by the US Attorney's office and Chris Christie prior to the 2006 election? Go figure; that supposed investigation just disappeared after the election. You can't tell me that isn't Rove's modus operendi. The man pulled the same thing in how many states? Once more of this comes out, Christie's gubernatorial chances will be roundly sunk.
August 12, 2009 6:40 AM | Reply | Permalink
We thought Corzine held some promise, being as rich as God, at least he couldn't be bought - who could afford him? But, since he didn't come up the ranks, but rather bought his way into the Senate and Governorship, he had no "team". Instead, we got the usual bunch of Democratic numbskulls running the State. Hangers-on who came in with McSleazy, stuck it out through Codey, and were reappointed by Corzine. Had the man no connections of his own?
Particulary egregious was Commissioner Levin's Reign of Terror at Community Affairs. After running the place into the ground with her incompetence, she was rewarded by Corzine with a quarter-million dolar job at the NY-NJ Port Authority.
Sorry, but anyone who would leave Levin in a position of authority over fellow human beings will not receive a single vote from my household.
August 12, 2009 9:13 AM | Reply | Permalink
And now this from today's Newark Star Ledger:
http://www.nj.com/news/index.ssf/2009/08/waterfront_commission_official.html
choice snippets:
The bi-state agency formed to combat corruption within the New York and New Jersey ports became riddled with abuse -- misusing federal Homeland Security funding, hiring unqualified cops, and allowing convicted felons to get jobs.
In a scathing 67-page report, the New York Inspector General said the Waterfront Commission of New York Harbor had failed in its duties.
"This was a total agency breakdown," Inspector General Joseph Fisch said. "Instead of ridding the waterfront of corruption, this agency itself was corrupt."
The commission's audits were more than a decade behind schedule, but the inspector general found that Frank Nastasi, the director of audit and control, often kept his door closed, while running a private tax preparation business at work and accessing pornography on his office computer.
From a commenter at www.politickernj.com:
According to the time frame stated in the report, Madonna was appointed in 2001 under Jim McGreevey to a 3 year term at a salary of $43,500 per year. He was obviously re-appointed by both McGreevey and Corzine for two additionaly terms.
Neither of these two Democrat Governors could see the conflict of appointing a Commissioner who was PBA President of the union representing the Waterfront Commission police force, and an officer in the Borough of Oakland? This is another example of Corzine trying to clean up his image by firing someone he re-appointed instead of having the sense to see the conflict and NOT reappointing in the first place.
August 12, 2009 9:45 AM | Reply | Permalink