Tom Shea

Chris Christie's unreported $46k person loan to First Assistant U.S. Attorney Michele Brown has become an issue in the gubernatorial campaign

In a statement released by Gov. Jon Corzine's campaign today, strategist Tom Shea says that "serious questions remain about the loan Republican gubernatorial candidate Christopher Christie gave to First Assistant U.S. Attorney Michele Brown, and pushed the U.S. Attorney's office to move quickly in the release of information the campaign requested under the Freedom of Information Act.

"Chris Christie had at least four opportunities to comply with the law and disclose this loan, yet he failed to do so each and every time. There seems to be no mystery that he was determined to keep it secret," said Shea.  The question is, why?"

"Christie and the U.S. Attorney's Office need to begin providing answers. They can start by immediately providing the specific dates of the promotions and salary increases Christie gave Michele Brown," Shea said.  "We have filed a Freedom of Information Act request requesting this information, but our previous requests for such basic public information have been bottled up by Christie's friends for more than five months. The public shouldn't have to wait a day longer."

Shea questioned how Brown, the second ranking official in the federal prosecutor's office, can treat public corruption investigations in a non-partisan fashion "when she remains indebted - literally - to the Republican candidate for governor?"

Gov. Jon Corzine, trailing his Republican opponent in a bid for re-election, has asked veteran Democratic strategist Jamie Fox to take a senior role in his campaign, Democratic sources say.  Democrats say that Fox would be an addition to the team and stressed that it is not a campaign shakeup.  Fox would not replace any of the existing campaign staff, and sources say that Corzine's longtime Chief of Staff, Tom Shea, and strategist Steve DeMicco will be staying on.

Fox, sources say, has not yet made a final decision to accept.

Over the next two weeks, the Corzine campaign is expected to bring several well-known operatives on to their staff in a full-time capacity.  The moves are expected to engage some key Democratic constituencies that have been less than enthusiastic over the governor's bid for a second term. 

The 55-year-old Fox served as Chief of Staff to Gov. James E. McGreevey and to U.S. Sen. Robert Torricelli.  He was the Executive Director of the Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee, state Commissioner of Transportation, U.S. Sen. Frank Lautenberg's state director, and Deputy Chief of Staff to Gov. Jim Florio.  Prior to opening a lobbying firm, Fox was the Deputy Executive Director of the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey.

He took a leave from his firm last September to join Barack Obama's campaign, and was sent to Florida as a senior advisor.  John McCain had an 8-point lead in Florida before Fox arrived; Obama won the state by 2.5 points.

Three New Jerseyans played key roles in Barack Obama's 50.8%-48.4% win in Florida yesterday: Jamie Fox, a former Chief of Staff to Governor James E. McGreevey, was dispatched to Florida at the request of Obama campaign manager David Plouffe to help turn the state from Red to Blue; and U.S. Senator Robert Menendez spent several days campaigning in Florida for Obama -- especially in the Cuban-American community that makes up about 29% of the county's population. Fox also brought Tom Shea, a former Chief of Staff to Governor Jon Corzine, to Florida to help with the effort. Obama won Miami-Dade 58%-42%, a margin of nearly 140,000 votes. In 2004, the Democratic margin was about 48,000.

Tom Shea served as Chief of Staff to the Governor from 2006 to 2007: Getty Images PhotoFormer Corzine Chief of Staff Tom Shea told PolitickerNJ.com today that he would never return to Trenton.

Pressed with rumors that he might retrieve his job as chief of staff, Shea was firm.

"Never," he repeated. "Once is enough."

Some Democrats close to Governor Jon Corzine say that Bradley Abelow will be replaced as Chief of Staff by his predecessor, Tom Shea.  Shea left the administration in August 2007, but has remained Corzine’s top political advisor.  Sources say Corzine would like Shea, who ran Corzine’s U.S. Senate campaign in 2000 and spent five years as his Chief of Staff in Washington, to return through the 2009 election.

Tom Shea is stepping down as Gov. Corzine’s chief of staff and will be replaced by State Treasurer Bradley Abelow.

Corzine sent a staff e-mail earlier this afternoon alerting his office to the change, which he said he will announce today.

"Tom is an immensely talented and dedicated public servant whom I relied on greatly in both campaigns, as a United States Senator and now as Governor,” wrote Corzine.

Abelow, Corzine wrote “has proven himself to be an outstanding and selfless public servant.

There are some reports that the Corzine administration is shopping for a new State Treasurer, which could mean that Thomas Shea is preparing to leave his post as Chief of Staff -- with Bradley Abelow as his replacement. 

One possible State Treasurer candidate is Judy Lewent, who will retire as Executive Vice President and Chief Financial Officer of Merck on August 14.  She also serves on the Board of Directors of Dell and Motorola, and as a Trustee of the Rockefeller Family Foundation.  A front office source says that Governor Jon Corzine will meet with Lewent this week.

ROBERTS: CORZINE'S TOUGHNESS WILL ASSIST HIM
IN RECOVERY FROM HIT-AND RUN INJURIES

(TRENTON) - Assembly Speaker Joseph J. Roberts Jr. today released the following statement on Governor Jon Corzine's recovery from injuries sustained in yesterday's accident caused by a hit-and-run driver:

"Toughness and tenacity are two of Governor Corzine's hallmark traits that will aid him in his recovery from the serious injuries he suffered yesterday.

New Jerseyans of all political parties are expressing their heartfelt wishes for Governor Jon Corzine's speedy recovery today -- and wondering what it means for state government over the long and short term.

Corzine remains in critical condition this morning, facing additional surgeries for injuries sustained in a serious autombole accident yesterday. Senate President Richard Codey says he is on a ventilator, and doctors say that it could be weeks before Corzine resumes his duties. He faces a long period of rehabilitation as he recovers from a femur bone broken in two places, a boken collarbone, twelve ribs, sternum, and head lacerations.

Article 5 of the New Jersey State Constitution -- at least for the next 32 months -- provides for the Senate President to become Acting Governor when the elected Governor in unable "to discharge the duties of the office." As Codey waits to learn more details of Corzine's path to full recovery, state political insiders are speculating as to who will run the state during the period of Corzine's incapacitation.

Corzine strategist Tom Shea reports that his candidate's favorite rock band is The Band. "Although we are rockin' some Cream," he adds. No word from Forrester land yet. Not sure if Corzine's answer willsatisfy the undecided voter (who is from Burlington County), but The Band is not the band that will deliver the man's wife and girlfriends as well.