Bridgegate is only the beginning of Chris Christie's woes
Bad news hits the presidential aspirant, again
When it rains it pours, and it's pouring right now on New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie (R).
Just days after Christie fired a top aide and denied any involvement in the mounting bridge scandal comes the news that federal officials are investigating whether the governor misused Hurricane Sandy relief funds for political gain. Meanwhile back in New Jersey, state lawmakers are vowing to probe just how deep the bridge scandal goes, and whether it's indicative of a larger pattern of political retribution and favor-peddling within the Christie administration.
Though Christie did everything he could to mitigate the damage with his apologetic press conference last week, further fallout may be unavoidable. And there's the real danger for Christie: Negative headlines will be far more damaging than they would have been a few weeks ago now that his aura of invincibility has been punctured.
Subscribe to The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.
Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
Back in August, Rep. Frank Pallone (D-N.J.) asked the Department of Housing and Urban Development to look into how New Jersey had spent $25 million on a marketing campaign in 2013 inviting tourists back to the storm-ravaged state. Those funds paid for TV ads featuring Christie and his family, which struck some as a blatant conflict of interest since the governor was in the midst of a reelection campaign and the ads essentially served as free — to the governor's reelection campaign, at least — publicity.
Moreover, Christie did not award the contract to produce the ads to the lowest bidder, instead picking a firm that cost the state an extra $2.2 million. The more expensive firm had proposed putting Christie in its ads, while the lower bidder did not.
Pallone told CNN on Sunday that the HUD inspector general had determined through a preliminary review that the concerns warranted a full investigation, which will take several months to complete.
Though the Sandy investigation is unrelated to the bridge scandal, its disclosure, and potential conclusion, couldn't come at a worse time for Christie.
Sign up for Today's Best Articles in your inbox
A free daily email with the biggest news stories of the day – and the best features from TheWeek.com
Christie earned high praise for his handling of Sandy's aftermath and the way he seemingly put aside politics — he lauded and then literally embraced President Obama right before the 2012 election — to focus on the recovery. Any sign that he played politics with the issue — and with taxpayers' money — would undercut his carefully constructed image as a uniquely bipartisan leader.
And though it's too early to say how the story will affect Christie should he choose to tun for president in 2016, it could at least give his potential rivals a talking point to ding his integrity and fiscal conservatism. Sen. Rand Paul (R-Ky.), for one, has harshly criticized Christie on that front already.
In the same way, any findings that more-closely tie Christie to the bridge scandal or further tarnish his staff would prove very damaging politically.
New Jersey lawmakers say they will "aggressively" investigate the lane closures on the George Washington Bridge after a Friday document dump linked more members of Christie's inner circle to the debacle. Though the thousands of pages of internal communications do not implicate anyone else in the coordination of the politically-motivated scheme, they do indicate more people at least knew about the brouhaha months ago — a time when they and Christie continued to purport ignorance.
On top of all that, New Jersey Senate Democrats may subpoena Christie's staffers and put a hold on his attorney general nominee; one lawmaker floated the possibility — though extremely unlikely — of impeachment if Christie is tied directly to the vindictive lane closures; and there are questions about whether Christie already lied about his relationship with one of the key players in the whole story to downplay his potential involvement.
Oh, and Christie has a big State of the State address to deliver on Tuesday, so he won't be able to lie low until the storm passes.
The initial story was bad enough for Christie, but it has also made the formerly untouchable governor more susceptible to the bad headlines beginning to trickle out. And it's also made it all the more likely that reporters and Christie's political foes will, with renewed vigor, dig up more embarrassing stories in the future.
Christie may be able to insulate himself from the bridge scandal itself, but not from the resulting fallout we're now seeing.
Jon Terbush is an associate editor at TheWeek.com covering politics, sports, and other things he finds interesting. He has previously written for Talking Points Memo, Raw Story, and Business Insider.
-
Biden visits Amazon, says climate legacy irreversible
Speed Read Nobody can reverse America's 'clean energy revolution,' said the president, despite the incoming Trump administration's promises to dismantle climate policies
By Peter Weber, The Week US Published
-
Pope seeks inquiry on if Gaza assault is 'genocide'
Speed Read In a book for the Jubilee 2025, Pope Francis considers whether Israel's war in Gaza meets the legal definition of 'genocide'
By Peter Weber, The Week US Published
-
Can Europe pick up the slack in Ukraine?
Today's Big Question Trump's election raises questions about what's next in the war
By Joel Mathis, The Week US Published
-
US election: who the billionaires are backing
The Explainer More have endorsed Kamala Harris than Donald Trump, but among the 'ultra-rich' the split is more even
By Harriet Marsden, The Week UK Published
-
US election: where things stand with one week to go
The Explainer Harris' lead in the polls has been narrowing in Trump's favour, but her campaign remains 'cautiously optimistic'
By Harriet Marsden, The Week UK Published
-
Is Trump okay?
Today's Big Question Former president's mental fitness and alleged cognitive decline firmly back in the spotlight after 'bizarre' town hall event
By Harriet Marsden, The Week UK Published
-
The life and times of Kamala Harris
The Explainer The vice-president is narrowly leading the race to become the next US president. How did she get to where she is now?
By The Week UK Published
-
Will 'weirdly civil' VP debate move dial in US election?
Today's Big Question 'Diametrically opposed' candidates showed 'a lot of commonality' on some issues, but offered competing visions for America's future and democracy
By Harriet Marsden, The Week UK Published
-
1 of 6 'Trump Train' drivers liable in Biden bus blockade
Speed Read Only one of the accused was found liable in the case concerning the deliberate slowing of a 2020 Biden campaign bus
By Peter Weber, The Week US Published
-
How could J.D. Vance impact the special relationship?
Today's Big Question Trump's hawkish pick for VP said UK is the first 'truly Islamist country' with a nuclear weapon
By Harriet Marsden, The Week UK Published
-
Biden, Trump urge calm after assassination attempt
Speed Reads A 20-year-old gunman grazed Trump's ear and fatally shot a rally attendee on Saturday
By Peter Weber, The Week US Published