Gordon on Christie: "He clearly has his eyes on returning to politics"

DENVER -- State Sen. Bob Gordon (D-Fair Lawn) said he can’t comment on the timing of the FBI’s raid on Bergen County Democratic Chairman Joe Ferriero’s law offices just last week, but after emerging from watching Sen. Bob Menendez speaking at this morning’s delegate breakfast, he couldn’t help but draw a parallel.

“We just listened to Bob Menendez and I was reminded of the U.S. Attorney’s office filing subpoenas and investigating him a matter of weeks before his election,” he said.

Ferriero is in town for the convention, but it’s hard to find him. He’s been laying low, appearing at few public events, although he did show up at the delegation’s downtown party last night.

Gordon actually owes his ascendance from the Assembly to the Senate in part to both U.S. Attorney Chris Christie and Ferriero. If Christie hadn’t investigated former State Sen. Joe Coniglio, which ultimately resulted in an indictment, Coniglio wouldn’t have been pressured to resign his seat. And it was Ferriero whose endorsement virtually assured that Gordon would replace Coniglio.

Gordon received a subpoena during Christie’s probe of Ferriero, but was never a target of the investigation.

Like most politicians, Gordon is careful about criticizing Christie. But he was a little more candid this morning.

“I can’t comment on the timing of the Bergen county event. I think most observers of this justice department would say it’s the most politicized Justice Department perhaps in American history,” he said, referring to the Justice Department as a whole.

When asked whether he felt Christie was part of that politicization, Gordon got a little more specific.

“He clearly has his eyes on returning to politics,” he said.