Christie Campaign Started While He Was US Attorney

by: Jason Springer

Sat Jun 06, 2009 at 07:54:08 PM EDT

Rick Merkt doesn't like being called a liar. He says that that John Inglesino, a fundraiser and benefactor who Christie swears is just a volunteer tried to offer him a job to get out of the campaign. At the time, they said this:

Inglesino denied offering Merkt any kind of position.

"That's a bold-faced lie," he said, adding that the Christie campaign didn't officially launch until months later.
Christie also said no offer was made.
"I know for sure it's a lie," he said.

So he didn't officially launch his campaign til months later, but he knew for sure there was no offer from his non existent campaign and that the claim by Merkt was a bald face lie. At the time, huntsu questioned Christie saying he wasn't campaigning, when he was sending his brother Todd and a delegation to represent him:

And staying home from the Republican National Convention while sending a team to represent your interests is more of the same. Sure, he's not violating the law but he is surely supporting a shadow campaign team and effort in his name while being the sitting US Attorney for NJ.

Well included in that shadow campaign team was Bill Palatucci, who Merkt says didn't offer, but rather threatened. After Democrats called for an investigation into the matter the other day, Merkt expanded on the effort to get him out by other very close Christie allies:

Merkt said the pressure intensified when he attended the Republican National Convention in Minnesota over the summer. In the hallway outside of the ballroom where the state Republicans held most of their events, he said he met with Christie confidante Bill Palatucci, who was even more direct.
"Palatucci absolutely went up one side and down the other, pretty much screaming at me about three inches from my space, saying I couldn't run, I had no support, nobody liked me, nobody would ever talk to me again," he said. "In 40 seconds Bill Palatucci convinced me that I had to run for governor, because nobody with that kind of personality should be permitted anywhere near the Executive Office. I can tell you, bystanders were amazed by Bill's meltdown."

But of course Chris Christie had no idea of this situation either, because as he said he didn't officially launch his campaign until November, months later. And if you believe that, Sarah Palin has a bridge to nowhere she wants to see if you're interested in. Perhaps the most damning part is this exchange, where we find out that there really was a shadow effort going on as huntsu speculated:

Merkt said that Inglesino started off the conversation warm and cajoling, noting that two candidates running out of Morris County could help Christie rival Steve Lonegan in the primary. Merkt said he responded that Christie was not even an announced candidate yet, to which Inglesino replied that he was indeed going to run but could not announce at the time because he was still U.S. Attorney.

So Christie was running, but couldn't talk about it. He just had other people do his dirty work. And exactly when into his term as non-partisan US Attorney did he decide to seek partisan office? At what point does the smell become so bad that people start asking more questions?

Jason Springer :: Christie Campaign Started While He Was US Attorney

Tags: Todd Christie, featured, Chris Christie, Bill Palatucci, John Inglesino, (All Tags)

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Christie Campaign Started While He Was US Attorney | 1 comments

Inglesino (0.00 / 0)

Inglesino is now involved in at least two of these Chris Christie scandals. Needless to say, he belongs in the company of John Ashcroft as someone you don't want to have political ties to.

by: NJCentrist @ Sun Jun 07, 2009 at 19:14:21 PM UTC