Saying that his gubernatorial campaign was committed to transparency, former U.S. Attorney Chris Christie held a press conference today to invite reporters’ questions about a spate of recent reports and critical columns detailing concerns over his past awarding of federal monitoring contracts.
“I’m not going to stand around and be a political punching bag of caddies for candidates who don’t have a record to sell, a story to tell, and actually attack the candidates who do have something to sell,” said Christie.
The press conference was meant to squelch an increasing number of attacks by political opponents and news columnists charging Christie — who is running largely on his record as a corruption-busting U.S. Attorney — with hypocrisy and cronyism over his awarding of federal monitoring contracts during his tenure as U.S. Attorney. Christie, however, said that he decided to broach the topic after conservative columnist Paul Mulshine's latest column "ruined my ability to enjoy my son's baseball game with a smile on my face."
"‘I was tired of reading it. So if that means putting out a fire, you can call it that"," he said."
Christie accused his opponents of “dragging my brother through the mud” over questions about his appointment of David Kelley, the former U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of New York, to a multi-million dollar federal monitoring contract for a medical implant company.
As U.S. Attorney, Kelley indicted 15 investment firm co-workers of Christie’s brother, Todd, who was not indicted but later faced a civil complaint from the SEC (The case against the co-workers ultimately failed, with 10 charges dropped, three found not guilty and two guilty pleas reversed).
Todd Christie has since settled the complaint with the SEC, admitting that improper trading took place in his company but not acknowledging any wrongdoing.
“The fact of the matter is none of my brother’s trades could even meet a civil standard of fraud, let alone a criminal case,” said Chris Christie.
When questioned as to why he would appoint Kelley to monitor a company despite the botched case against the traders, Christie said he was sure it was “not [Kelley’s] proudest day,” but that he judged him on the entirety of his work as U.S. Attorney.
Chris Christie lashed out against former state Sen. Richard LaRossa (R-Ewing), who in his unpaid column for PolitickerNJ.com wrote about Todd Christie and David Kelley. Christie said that this Web site in particular has had a bone to pick with him since he indicted Charles Kushner on charges of tax fraud, campaign finance fraud and witness tampering. Kushner’s son Jared bought PolitickerNJ.com – then-known as PoliticsNJ.com — in 2007.
“Those people… who are on the Kushner-owned web site, I've never been on their holiday card list,” said Christie. “Ever since I sent Kushner to jail, my coverage on Politics–or PolitickerNJ.com–has not been sterling. While I'm sure there are lots of good, well-intentioned people, the editorial policy there has not been favorable since I sent Charles Kushner to jail.”
The reports and columns about his brother’s prosecution and an alleged quid pro quo contract with Kelley are the latest controversy to arise over Christie’s awarding of deferred prosecution agreements.
The first flare-up was in 2007, when it was revealed that Christie had awarded former U.S. Attorney General John Ashcroft – his former boss – a contract worth $28 to $52 million.
More recently, Christie has taken fire for accepting over $23,800 from the law firm Stern & Kilcullen, whose partner, former U.S. Attorney and Federal District Judge Herb Stern, had been tapped by Christie to head federal oversight of the University of Medicine and Dentistry of New Jersey (UMDNJ).
Christie said that Stern uncovered $400 million in waste and fraud at the school, which he referred to as a “patronage pit,” and that his investigation led to the indictment of former state Sen. Wayne Bryant, who had a low-show job there.
Christie also credited his use of deferred prosecution agreement with ending what he said was a widespread practice of medical implant companies bribing doctors to use their products.
“This is an industry that is now transformed,” he said.
Although much of the criticism Christie has recently faced has come from his Republican primary opponents – specifically Assemblyman Rick Merkt (R-Mendham) and former Bogota Mayor Steve Lonegan – Christie, true to his campaign strategy of largely ignoring his GOP rivals, only targeted Gov. Corzine in his remarks.
“His campaigns are vicious, negative, personal campaigns. That’s what this one will be,” he said. “Because if you had his record, you can’t talk about it. So you’ve got to try to diminish me.”
Corzine has remained silent on the issue of federal monitoring contracts, but Christie singled out his political allies like state Sen. Loretta Weinberg (D-Teaneck), who called on Christie to return donations from Stern’s law firm.
“The woman who sat by while UMDNJ was burning to the ground from her senior position on the health committee and did nothing,” said Christie. “Maybe if she paid some attention to her oversight responsibilities, perhaps there wouldn’t be such a mess to clean up…. Do your job. Stop trying to caddy for the Governor.”
Christie said that he will not accept any more donations from people who he appointed for federal monitoring contracts during his time as U.S. Attorney – but only because he felt the issue had become a distraction from the more important problems facing the state.
Weinberg, for her part, said that she was a vocal critic of UMDNJ, even before Christie’s office began investigating it. Still, she said, she was glad that his office got involved.
“First of all, I don’t play golf. Second of all, I wouldn’t be caddying for the Governor or any other man I know. And third of all Mr. Christie would have to admit that I’ve been involved in anti-pay-to-play legislation not in anybody’s surrogate but as my own person,” said Weinberg. “I know he’s running against the Governor, but if he wants to debate me I’d be happy to do it.”
Democratic State Chairman Joseph Cryan, who has played the role of Corzine's chief defender so far in the race, doubted Christie's stated motive for picking Kelley for a contract.
"Christie wants us to believe that in a country with more than one million lawyers the one most qualified to receive this no-bid contract is the one that let his brother off for stock fraud. I think the people of New Jersey are smarter than that," he said.
