February 20, 2008 - 2:54pm
Christie won't testify on Tuesday
By Matt Friedman
Tags: Christopher Christie, Chris Christie, John Ashcroft, federal monitors, deferred prosecution agreements, House Judiciary
United States Attorney Christopher Christie and former Attorney General John Ashcroft will not testify in front of the House Judiciary subcommittee next week.
The hearing, which was tentatively but not officially set for Tuesday, has been postponed until next month.
The Judiciary Committee had asked Christie to testify about the lucrative federal monitoring contract he gave to John Ashcroft to oversee the medical implant company Zimmer Holdings, LLC. Christie had said he would testify if asked by the Justice Department.
Justice Department spokesman Paul Bresson did not say whether his department had asked Christie to testify, or whether they were refusing to do so.
“I don’t know that we’d want to really have a discussion about that,” he said. “As far as providing an appropriate department representative for the hearing, we’ll respond to that when the hearing is rescheduled.”
Michael Torra, chief-of-staff to California Rep. Linda Sanchez, who will chair the hearing, said that the committee had still not heard back from the Justice Department regarding its request for Christie to testify. The request was made two weeks ago.
Torra said that the committee needed to work out exactly who the witnesses would be before going through with the hearing.
"We haven’t really gotten word from the Justice Department either way," said Torra. "It's not that they’ve refused or said yes. The conversations are still ongoing.”
Contributors
Wally Edge
Joe Ferriero's recent legal woes -- allegations that he assaulted a woman at a Labor Day barbecue at his home, and a federal probe of a grants ... >
Bob Torricelli
There's something missing from the Republican Convention. There is a need for a camera behind the curtain where speakers greet ... >
Michael Patrick Carroll
Public sector salaries are out of control and require legislative attention. >
Debbie Holtz
Steering NJN's ship away from rocky financial uncertainty won't be easy. In fact, it may not even be possible according to the some of the ... >
Steve Lonegan
Tibet – the broad, high plateau between India and China – is bigger than Western Europe and the source of the great rivers of Asia: the Indus, ... >
Dr. Joseph Marbach
For the past few weeks, I've watched with fascination as politician after politician have appeared on a beach or a boardwalk and declared their ... >
Rob Tornoe
To view a larger version of this cartoon, click here. >
Michael P. Riccards
Speaker Nancy Pelosi, on Meet the Press, made a statement that incurred the wrath of members of the Catholic bishops club. She dared to say that ... >
Joey Novick
And now we go back in time, to Mr. Dembo's eighth grade science class and JHS 278, and a sixteen millimeter film about the seasonal migration of ... >
Juan Melli
Poll
is Chris Christie running for Governor?
Yes
52%
No
3%
I don't know
10%
I don't care
35%
PolitickerNJ Partners
SPONSORED BY:
| Politicker INTERACTIVE | |
 |
The Pindell Report Keep up with the races in your state |
 |
Lawmaker Profile Follow the funding of your representatives |
 |
270 to Win Predict the road to the White House |
Top Tags
Most Active Stories
- Ferriero will take leave as Bergen Dem Chairman
- Andrews will seek re-election to House
- Pallone wants Christie to release personal schedules for last two years
- Merkt mulling bid for Governor
- Star-Ledger report: Ferreiro investigated for assault
- Torricelli on the Republican National Convention
- Christie met with Beck to discuss '09 campaign, Lt. Governor
- The race to replace Ferriero begins: Fader wants the job
- Editorial boards beat the crap out of Andrews
- Until Andrews changed his mind, Norcross was headed to Congress
- Dr. Bones goes to Washington
- PoliticsNJ.com Power List 2007
- DOHERTY: NEW SCIENTIFIC DATA JUSTIFIES REPEALING GLOBAL WARMING RESPONSE ACT
- Eleven arrested in bribery scandal
- Lyndhurst GOP, nearly all of them, switching parties
- Lobbyist arrested
- Governor Paralysis
- Who is the best State Party Chairman in New Jersey
- KYRILLOS, BECK, KEAN & HANDLIN VOW WORK TO KEEP SEASTREAK FERRY UP AND RUNNING
- Torricelli on COAH
Quote of the Day
September 5, 2008
"A bare-faced liar. Rob Andrews lied. Plain and simple." -- A Philadelphia Inquirer editorial on Andrews' decision to seek re-election to the U.S. House of Representatives.
-Philadelphia Inquirer, 09/05/08
Recent Press Releases
In the News
Read the expanded Wake Up Call, our summary of today’s news media coverage.
Today’s Must Reads:
Politicker Poaches From Politico― News from Politicker.com
Xanadu bill footnote may weigh on Corzine― CHARLES STILE
Zoffinger not one to deny beliefs, avoid controversy― 'Codey's an idiot, and you can print that'
Welcome to New Jersey, Media Wasteland― NEW YORK OBSERVER
Divorce McGreevey style ― ALFRED DOBLIN
The judge got it right ― JAMES AHEARN
Capital Games― HERB JACKSON
Teen will get chance to sue a top N.J. judge ― ROBERTO RIVERA-SOTO
Mayor refusing to apologize for anti-Semitic slur ― WOODCLIFF LAKE
Court decision likely to have far-reaching implications in N.J. ― EMINENT DOMAIN
PolitickerNJ.com Jobs
Syndicate
Permission?
Let's think of all the NJ pols that we know...Which ones need permission to do anything and from whom?
Do the members of the House
Do the members of the House Judiciary subcommittee have valid fishing licenses?
"Maybe the reason Senator John McCain's campaign has failed to get any traction is that the debates show him to be the kind of arrogant and condescending know-it-all who would be the most dangerous kind of President." Thomas Sowell, Random Thoughts, December 2007
Fishing?
So you're saying that it's OK to buck congressional oversight? How about subpoenas? Is it OK to ignore those too?
Hey, why not just declare Bush King, and Christie as Grand Inquisitor?
Do you really want to live in a lawless America where everything is done your way?
I assure you, at some point they'll be coming after you. Dictatorships are evil and unsustainable...whether you like it or not we are a nation of laws......and that even applys to your idol, Chris Christie.
From Frederick Douglass
Nick,
They have no basis to investigate except that they don't like the choice. That is unconstitutional. By what constitutional authority does congress have the right to appoint a subcommittee with arbitrary supena power, to demand testamony of anyone who is not part of congress? We have courts and judges for that. Last week we had an inappropriate abuse of power with Senate Hearings involving "The Rocket." Where are 5th Amendment rights in these political motivated farces?
If it is illegal to take HGH then the court has jurisdiction. If it is a Basball rule then the MLB has jurisdiction. In either case Congess is out of bounds!!
Let whoever has any evidence of wrong doing go to the proper juridiction, that would be criminal court an file a charge or MLB and file a complaint. I'm afraid you're showing your comunistic tendencies.
This subcommittee is fishing. What is worse, they are trespassing on the jursdictions of entities that have ownership.
"Maybe the reason Senator John McCain's campaign has failed to get any traction is that the debates show him to be the kind of arrogant and condescending know-it-all who would be the most dangerous kind of President." - Thomas Sowell, Random Thoughts, December 2007