Christie's Oversight

I wonder if this is why Dan Damon is sick today (see article below)

August 20, 2009


And Christie too? The sad reality of N.J. politics


Chris Christie came across many a wrongdoer in his years as New Jersey's U.S. attorney, including a fair number of tax cheats. In fact, he once boasted in a 2005 press release that his office had prosecuted "every variation of tax fraud and method of evasion." And we'd bet Christie heard — and scoffed at — more than a few claims of innocence and ignorance through all those years, criminals insisting that it was all a big mistake.

Now Christie is the one accused of some questionable tax affairs — failing to report on federal tax returns and financial disclosure forms a $46,000 loan he gave to a subordinate. His excuse? It was an oversight. And as for why he's different from all of those tax cheaters he caught, Christie said that in his case it really was unintentional.

Isn't that what they all say?

This is, at best, an egregious blunder on Christie's part. It would be bad enough for any citizen or candidate, but Christie's a former U.S. attorney who should certainly know better. His gubernatorial candidacy has been built primarily on his reputation as a political corruption-buster. He is being presented to the voters as the pristine candidate, the one untainted by political machinations and poised to clean up New Jersey government.

And now this?

Gov. Jon S. Corzine's campaign will have some fun with the news, and some of their criticisms are certainly justified. But they'd best be careful, because there would be an unmistakable hypocrisy to any hint of moralizing.

Christie may have chosen poorly in giving the loan to Michele Brown, an assistant prosecutor who is also a friend and neighbor of Christie's. But remember that Corzine himself faced plenty of campaign questions during his first gubernatorial run regarding a loan that he gave — and failed to properly disclose — to ex-girlfriend and former union head Carla Katz. And that relationship presented a far more troubling conflict, considering Katz represented a Communications Workers of America union local that is the largest of the state workers' unions. Corzine and Katz even exchanged e-mails during contract talks between the state and the union, a clear ethical breach that may have compromised the discussions. Corzine, however, waged a lengthy, and ultimately successful battle to keep the e-mails secret, under the dubious claim of executive privilege. If he wants to blast Christie, he might consider releasing those e-mails first.

Still, there's no way for Christie to spin this other than to concede a spectacular lapse in judgment that puts a major dent in that corruption-busting armor. And that's the best-case scenario for him, since his mistake could also have legal implications.

On the bright side for Christie, however, Corzine has more than a few ethical lapses on his resume already. And Corzine has also done a miserable job running the state the last 3 1/2 years.

But for those who believed that Christie might be genuinely different from our typical New Jersey politicians, the bloom has now fallen off that particular rose.

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http://www.mycentraljersey.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=2009908200313