
U.S. Attorney Christopher Christie today announced his intention to resign effective Dec. 1 at 11:59 p.m., according to Michael Drewniak, spokesman for the U.S. Attorney's Office.
In a two-page letter to Attorney General Michael Mukasey, dated Nov. 17, Christie writes that during his time in office since 2002, “A new level of attention was brought to the scourge of political corruption in this state and we are proud of the results. There have been 130 convictions of elected and appointed political officials in the last seven years without an acquittal.”
Drewniak said Christie told staff about his plans at a meeting today in the Rodino Federal Building in Newark.
The retiring U.S. Attorney is widely seen as a Republican Party challenger next year to Gov. Jon Corzine.
In his letter to Mukasey, Christie notes his office's case against a Belarusian ring of child pornographers, which led to 1,500 arrests worldwide; and Operation Emissary, a human trafficking case that led to more than 350 prosecutions in the U.S. alone.
He reminds Mukasey of convictions secured in 1,000 violent crime cases, and a $265 million court settlement his office won against the state's largest heath care system for Medicare fraud.
The retiring U.S. Attorney says a 25 percent increase in staff at the Trenton and Camden offices during his watch led to more vigorous prosecution of crime in South Jersey.
"It has been the greatest profesional experience of my life to serve at the Department of Justice, to serve with the dedicated people of this office, and to serve the people of New Jersey," Christie writes.
Garden State Equality fires new broadside at Dems Smarting over the state Senate's refusal to pass marriage equality and disillusioned at the moment with the Democratic Party majority, Garden State Equality’s 85-member Board of Directors unanimously decided against giving financial contributions to political parties and their affiliated committees. ...
“We will work harder and smarter to protect consumers, to preserve civil rights, to effectively regulate the alcoholic beverage industry, to ensure that the integrity of New Jersey’s casino gaming industry continues, to keep drives, passengers and pedestrians safe on our streets, to assist victims of crimes, and to remember always the importance of juvenile justice on issues affecting the state." -- Attorney General-designate Paula Dow, at her Senate confirmation hearing.
- PolitickerNJ.com, 02/08/10Press releases are submitted by PolitickerNJ users, not by staff. They do not represent the viewpoint of PolitickerNJ.com.
Here we go...
Let the Gubernatorial campaign begin.
Drat
Ferriero and Oury are probably jumping up and down. Hope Lautenberg stands his ground against whatever BCDO-backed a-hole is recommended to Obama.
Drat
Ferriero and Oury are probably jumping up and down. Hope Lautenberg stands his ground against whatever BCDO-backed a-hole is recommended to Obama.
Let's see if he can raise any money.
Naturally, Chris is going to take a pledge not to give any government work to anyone who contributes to his campaign or is related to someone who contributes.
track record
lets see if his conviction track record holds up with Conigilio, Ferriero etc after all Primary is only 7 months away.
Let us see
how far past April he gets before flaming out. Hope he is not depending on the State GOP for help.
We hate to see ya go...
Good Riddance! Let's get a U.S. Attorney in there who focuses on real crime!
Ferriero
Will Ferriero be throwing another indoor BBQ this weekend ?
Here cums the summer of love.
I got news for you people, Christie won't be running against Corzine.
Corzine will likely be kicked upstairs, either as Treasury Secretary, or a job with the Fed, in the new Obama administration.
Even if he doesn't move to Washington, it is highly unlikely that he will run again, as the rank and file in the local democrat blogosphere, Bluejersey and PolitickerNJ, constatnly rail about his unpopularity within his own party, so seeing the writing on the wall, of how his opposition is greatest within his own base, Corzine would bow out.
Get ready for the candidacy of Rev. Jim McGreevey, financed through the deep pockets of his boyriend, by way of the deep pockets of his boyfriends new employer, Charles Kutchner.
Laugh now, cry later.
McGreevey will campaign as an innocent victim of the bigotry and homophopia of Chris Christie, who was blackmailing him over his homosexuality, and Jim Willse and the Star Ledger will frame the election as a referendum on bigotry and intolerance.
New Jersey voters, being the fools that they are, will then not only elect McGreevey again, he will win in a landslide.
Eric Gallagher
www.redyankeepress.com
Dina Matos
is the better man.
The Sherriff Leaves Dodge City
With the departure of Chris Christie, there will be noone who will prosecute official corruption in NJ.
Before Christie, who investigated and prosecuted corrupt government employees and politicians?
During his tenure, was there anyone else trying to protect the citizens from those who sold their influence?
After his departure, those who abuse the public trust will be able to do so with impunity.
Rev McGreevey?
can anyone tell us what rest stop will be his Campaign HQ ?
one can only
hope the good work of his office will remain intact before the goons get in there with shredders.
Let's hope for an issue-oriented campaign
I don't recall how Chris came across on the campaign trail in the 1990's when he was a Morris Co. pol. I'm hoping he focuses on real "kitchen table" issues - the roads, going to the gas station, education, health care - rather than just hammer away at political corruption.
Does Merkt drop out once Chris officially gets in?
On another political website
they are hammering away at Chrisie concerning the sweetheart deals he gave to his cronies Ashcroft,Herb Stern and others-said it totals the neighborhood of 100 million bucks which is truly mind boggling considering our economy is in the toilet. He gave a few Bush pals 100 million bucks to play with. What the hell????? I don't care about petty criminals in the till when he's opened up the bank vault!
hey Mountaintop
he's going to take money from the wife, cousin, landscaper, accountant of all the folks he gave these sweetheart contracts to-I still cannot get over this 100 million dollar figure that Christie supposidly gave to his cronies. and for WHAT, may I ask? becasue he LIKEd these guys all that much? No its back scratching time now and the inquiring minds want to know how he plans on explaining this. I don't want to hear about any Sharpe James or John Lynch bogeymen either. WHO GIVES OUT 100 million dollars in NO BID CONTRACTS??????
Mom in Law..
Laughable accusations missing the major point:
Not one penny of that "no-bid contract" to a federal monitor came from taxpayers.
Every single cent of it was paid for by the corrupt Zimmer Holdings corporation, who were convicted of kickbacks in a medical device scheme.
Talk about a dead issue..the only reason why Pallone and Pascrell attacked Christie for it was because the parent company of Zimmer Holdings happened to be a major Democratic campaign contributor with ties to the House Judiciary Chairman of all people.
Mom in Law
The $100 million was properly spent and audited.
I'm just puzzled as to why you're so upset that a federal prosecutor has been so successful putting corrupt politicians in jail. NJ's corruption makes us a national laughingstock, inflates the cost of government, ensures sub-par services, and costs us all a fortune.
Don't you realize that without Christie as Federal prosecutor NO crooked politicians or public employees would have been held accountable for their crimes?
I know that if you didn't have the contracting issue to rail about, you would have found some other reason to complain about the only person trying to clean up corruption in NJ.
What's your REAL issue?
Who did the "auditing"?
and determined it was properly spent-Some of the Bush/Cheney group auditors? Are these the same guy who have been auditing our Iraq spending? Where is my money? Its laughable to think that these GUYS connected to Bush/Cheney were the only 6 or 7 available warm bodies to handle these monitorings and they they in turn will not be contributing to Mr. Christie's coffers after he announses his gubernatorial run. Mark my words, they'll be the chauffeurs, landscapers, hairdressers, mistresses, lawyers, doctors, accountants,business partners and asscoiates of these guys and not them directly. NJ is a mess because we
arrest the dope fiend and not the trafficker every single time.
good news bad news
The bad news is that Chris Christie will stop putting away crooked pols. The good news is he can run for Governor and boot Jonny Boy from office.
Chris Christie is a pay to play posterboy
Donates a bundle to the Bush Campaign. Rewarded as US Attorney from the State of New Jersey. If that's not pay to play, I don't know what is. Maybe he can give it a necessary PR makeover in the next couple months by calling it "Donate to Participate". That will be the new PC way to refer to it.
Where's your money?
You are apparently outraged about things that haven't happened!
Your predictions of campaign donations to Christie have got you worked up?
Where is your outrage about the 8 billion plus wasted on the school construction corporation? With no investigation.
I suppose you're not interested in where that money went because it benefitted the "correct people".
Try taking off your idealogical blinders. NJ politics is a sewer, and needs to be cleaned. If you can't see that, there's no hope for you.
Donate to Participate
I love it! That's it-that's the angle. I think all of these guys that think they've gotten the second coming of Secretariet will be sorry...There's too many questions about this Christie guy that haven't yet been answered but maybe in the first leg of his goodwill tour to introduce himself to voters he'll do exactly that. But puleazze spare me the holier than thou on the corruption beat. In another life Ashcroft/Cheney/Rove and company would be in sing sing making license plates with all the dirt they've done to the American public.
Christie
Yes there are national problems too, but that's not what we're talking about. For the record, I've got no love for GWB.
We're talking state here.
You mention "donate to participate". NJ is THE pay-to-play state at all levels of government. That is a problem, but participating in bribery is a crime.
Another one of NJ's finest, Wayne Bryant is going up the river. Let's celebrate!!! Don't you think that's healthy for NJ?
Again, Christie's office is the ONLY entity investigating official corruption in NJ! Do I think he's perfect? Absolutely not. Noone is. But our current governor doesn't care about corruption at all. Isn't that a problem?
Christie has not broken the law. The people he's prosecuted have. 130 convictions by jury. How can anyone (except the perps) not be glad?
Sincerely, I have a question for you: Do you really see a problem with prosecuting politicians who take bribes?
Too Funny...
MOMINLAW...where do you get your info? Elect reports are easy to read...Chris Christie was a fundraiser NOT donor to GWB. Corrupt Zimmer Holdings paid the contract to Ashcroft...not taxpayers. If we are to investigate money..lets check how Gov Corzine bought off all the ministers in the inner cities for their support when he ran for Senate...so funny that Dems are stooping to distortion so early.