The week from hell continues for Chris Christie. From the Associated Press:
The top federal prosecutor in New Jersey is facing an internal ethics investigation over public comments that may have helped his ex-boss' campaign for governor, officials told The Associated Press on Tuesday.
The probe marks a particularly embarrassing turn for federal authorities charged with weeding out corruption in scandal-scarred New Jersey: An internal affairs investigation has been launched into their handling of a major corruption case just days after they filed charges in the case.
The officials, who spoke on condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to discuss the probe, told the AP the Justice Department was examining whether acting U.S. Attorney Ralph Marra made inappropriate public comments that boosted Republican Chris Christie's political challenge to incumbent Democratic Gov. Jon Corzine. Before running for office, Christie was the US Attorney for New Jersey, and Marra was his top deputy.
So, let's recap: First, new details emerged on Karl Rove orchestrating Christie's candidacy while he was still a US Attorney, which prompted CREW to file a complaint with the Office of the Special Counsel to see if Christie violated the Hatch Act. Next, it's revealed that Christie failed to disclose a $46,000 loan to his top deputy as required by federal and state ethics regulations. Then, it's revealed that he also failed to report the loan income on his tax returns. The final kick in the pants -- and a painful one -- is Christie's successor being under investigation for improperly involving himself in the political sphere in support of his former boss.
The Jon Corzine campaign must be ecstatic right now.
