Christie gave job to Stern's son

Before leaving office as U.S. Attorney last year, Christopher Christie hired Samuel Stern, the son of former U.S. District Court Judge Herbert Stern, to work as a federal prosecutor.  Samuel Stern started work last month in the Appeals Division of the U.S. Attorney's office in Newark.  His hiring came during the days before Christie left to became a candidate for Governor.

Herbert Stern, who also served as U.S. Attorney, was picked by Christie to serve as federal monitor of the University of Medicine and Dentistry of New Jersey in 2007 after the Justice Department entered into a deferred prosecution agreement with UMDNJ.  Stern's law firm, Stern and Killcullen, received a reported $3 million in legal fees from the no-bid contract.

Stern, his law partners, and their spouses have contributed $23,800 to Christie's campaign for the Republican nomination for Governor.  Through public financing, Christie received an additional $47,600 in matching funds through the seven contributions.  Republican gubernatorial candidate Steve Lonegan and State Sen. Loretta Weinberg (D-Teaneck) have called on Christie to return the Stern contributions.

The U.S. Attorney's office has confirmed that Christie hired Samuel Stern.  Reached by PolitickerNJ.com today, Samuel Stern refused to comment on his hiring.

The move to hire him as reportedly caused some problems within the U.S. Attorney's office, where several career prosecutors view Stern as a political appointee without the qualifications other Assistant U.S. Attorney's begin their careers with.  He spent just 18 months as an Assistant Hudsn County Prosecutor, and never won a case. 

Stern took unusual steps to get his job.  Typically Assistant U.S. Attorneys come with more trial experience, or an impressive judicial clerkship.  Sources say his first round of interviews went poorly, but that Christie hired him anyway.