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jsr

(7,712 posts)
Mon Jan 20, 2014, 11:37 AM Jan 2014

What Mitt Romney learned about Chris Christie in 2012 (WP)

http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/the-fix/wp/2013/11/04/what-mitt-romney-learned-about-chris-christie-in-2012-and-why-it-matters-for-2016/

What Mitt Romney learned about Chris Christie in 2012 and why it matters for 2016
By Sean Sullivan
November 4, 2013 at 2:07 pm

1. A Justice Department IG's report: In 2010, a DoJ inspector general report criticized Christie's free-spending habits in the U.S. attorney's office, a revelation that was made public that year. Halperin and Heilemann write that the report "criticized him for being 'the U.S. attorney who most often exceeded the government [travel expense] rate without adequate justification' and for offering 'insufficient, inaccurate, or no justification' for stays at swank hotels." The book says the report also "raised questions for vetters about Christie's relationship with a top female deputy who accompanied him on many of the trips."

2. A defamation lawsuit: Romney's team also looked at a defamation lawsuit Christie faced, write Halperin and Heilemann. Here's how the Newark Star-Ledger described the incident: "In 1994, his opponents in the Republican Morris County freeholder primary sued him for claiming they were under investigation by the county prosecutor. The case was settled, and Christie issued a formal apology." The Romney vetters asked Christie's team to provide the terms of settlement, but did not get that information by the time they issued a report on him for Romney to review.

3. Christie's lobbying work: The Romney campaign wanted more information than they got on Christie's lobbying clients, according to the book. Also, Christie once lobbied for the Securities Industry Association when Bernie Madoff -- who was sentenced in 2009 for masterminding a historic financial fraud -- was a senior official there.

4. Christie's brother: In 2008, Todd Christie agreed to settle Securities and Exchange Commission civil charges. The book says he "acknowledged making 'hundreds of trades in which customers had been systematically overcharged.' " Halperin and Heilemann write that his oversight of a family foundation also caught the attention of the Romney vetters. The written report the Romney vetters finalized for the presidential candidate to review said that the campaign asked Christie whether his brother incurred any penalty as a result of action taken by the SEC/NYSE, but they had not received that information.

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What Mitt Romney learned about Chris Christie in 2012 (WP) (Original Post) jsr Jan 2014 OP
I wonder why and how this has come to light flamingdem Jan 2014 #1
The Romney camp will never forgive Christie Gothmog Jan 2014 #2

Gothmog

(143,999 posts)
2. The Romney camp will never forgive Christie
Mon Jan 20, 2014, 12:58 PM
Jan 2014

The vetting/opposition research memo on Christie would have surfaced if Christie had escaped Bridgegate.

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