The Office of Special Counsel (OSC) will not investigate whether former U.S. Attorney Chris Christie violated the Hatch Act by talking to Bush strategist Karl Rove about a possible run for governor while he was still in office, The AP reports.

The DC-based watchdog group Citizens for Ethics and Responsibility in Washington (CREW) asked the office to start the investigation in August, but the office refused because even if they found Christie violated the law, they would not be able to discipline him.

Recognizing that point when she originally made the request, CREW Executive Director Melanie Sloan argued that the government could bar Christie from returning to work in the federal government if he was found to have violated the act.

"It's not just that it will send a message, but I think it would not be particularly healthy for Mr. Christie if the OSC were to rule that he violated the Hatch Act," Sloan to PolitickerNJ.com last month.