AP details Christie deferred prosecution agreements

by: Jason Springer

Wed Jun 24, 2009 at 08:29:27 PM EDT

As he prepares to testify during a hearing of the House Judiciary subcommittee on Commercial and Administrative Law about deferred prosecution agreements he entered into as US Attorney, the AP is out tonight with a synopsis to help guide us:

, John Ashcroft. Christie's former U.S. Justice Department boss made $28 million to $52 million or more in 18 months for monitoring Zimmer Holdings, one of five medical device manufacturers accused of giving kickbacks to surgeons for using their replacement hips and knees.
, David Kelley. A former U.S. attorney in Manhattan, Kelley investigated a stock fraud case involving Christie's younger brother, Todd, but declined to prosecute him. Kelley was later picked to monitor Biomet Orthopedics Inc., another of the medical device makers.
, Bristol-Myers Squibb. A $300 million fraud settlement Christie negotiated with the New York company included a provision that Bristol-Myers endow a professorship at Seton Hall Law School, his alma mater. The U.S. Justice Department subsequently issued guidelines barring such requirements as part of out-of-court corporate crime settlements.
, David Samson. The former Republican attorney general and party fundraiser was a monitor of medical device maker Smith & Nephew Inc. His firm is now on Christie's payroll for legal work: the candidate's pre-election finance report last month listed expenditures of $9,439.40 in legal fees/rent and $18,439.40 still owed to Wolff & Samson of West Orange.
, Herbert Stern. Christie mentor got $10 million contract to monitor University of Medicine and Dentistry of New Jersey, accused of double-billing for services covered by Medicare. Christie close friend and fundraiser John Inglesino, a partner in Stern's law firm, was paid $325 per hour for his work as counsel on the monitorship. Stern, Inglesino, another partner and their wives later gave $23,800 in donations to Christie's campaign for governor. The donations were matched, 2-1, under New Jersey's campaign finance laws, bringing the total amount to $71,400.
, Debra Wong Yang. Like Kelley, Yang, a former U.S. attorney in Los Angeles, is a former Christie colleague. The Republican-connected prosecutor and Gibson, Dunn & Crutcher partner, who had ties to former Attorney General Alberto Gonzales, was chosen to monitor Deputy Orthopaedics Inc.
, John Carley. A former Cendant Corp. vice president and Federal Trade Commission lawyer under President Reagan, Carley was on Sen. John McCain's 2008 New York fundraising team. He oversaw a nonprosecution agreement involving Stryker Orthopedics.

While much of the attention has been paid to the Ashcroft, Stern and Kelley prosecution agreements, the Seton Hall one could raise some eyes as well. The Seton Hall agreement spurred a change in the guidelines because of the contribution Christie required. It turns out that two years after the deal, Seton Hall presented Christie with the St. Thomas More Medal for outstanding contributions to the law, the community and the Catholic Church. I'm sure this and many other questions will be asked at the hearing tomorrow.

We asked Congressman Pallone about the timing of the testimony on Blue Jersey Radio, because some have cried politics including editorial boards. Pallone reminded our listeners that Christie declined to testify when he was US Attorney and that the committee postponed the original date at the request of Republicans fearing it could be a political issue in the primary. The timing is of his own creation.

They will be streaming it live through the Judiciary website apparently if you would like to follow along.

Jason Springer :: AP details Christie deferred prosecution agreements