The Jersey Sting, by Sherman & Margolin: on Government Reform


Chris Christie: Corruption is key because people need faith in government

[In 2002], the new US Attorney began making public corruption a top priority of his office. Christie often explained corruption was key because people need to have faith in their government and its institutions. But it also made for huge headlines and Christie simply loved huge headlines. Within days of Christie becoming the new US Attorney, the FBI arrested Paterson mayor Marty Barnes, who was charged with handing out millions of dollars in public contracts in return for vacation trips, a new swimming pool and waterfall for his home, expensive suits, and other luxury items. It wasn't Christie's case, developed long before he arrived, but it was the 1st public corruption indictment to come before Christie, and he spoke out strongly.

"The conduct here is the most reprehensible type of public conduct that you can find anywhere in this country," he declared. "It is personal and financial gratification at the expense of the public, using your public office to do that. And it's disgraceful."

Source: The Jersey Sting, by Sherman & Margolin, p. 83 Apr 10, 2012

Chris Christie: Legacy as U.S. Attorney: dismantled N.J. Democratic Party

Behind closed doors, they say Chris Christie's goal and legacy as a US Attorney was the systematic dismantling of some of the state's leading political organizations, in Bergen, Hudson, and Middlesex. They argued that Christie came to office while the Democratic Party was riding high and heading toward its zenith in NJ. They say he was determined to bust it down. They openly criticize him for using a strike force of federal agents and the vast resources of the Justice Department to go after politicians to benefit himself and his party instead of fighting gangs and fraud and the things that are always said to "really matter to people."

Christie laughs at that: "That's the kind of thing that's said by people who were never in that office."

Source: The Jersey Sting, by Sherman & Margolin, p.324 Apr 10, 2012

  • The above quotations are from The Jersey Sting
    Chris Christie and the Most Brazen Case of Jersey-Style Corruption--Ever
    by Ted Sherman & Josh Margolin.
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  • Click here for more quotes by Chris Christie on Government Reform.
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Candidates and political leaders on Government Reform:

Retiring Senate as of Jan. 2015:
GA:Chambliss(R)
IA:Harkin(D)
MI:Levin(D)
MT:Baucus(D)
NE:Johanns(R)
OK:Coburn(R)
SD:Johnson(D)
WV:Rockefeller(D)

Resigned from 113th House:
AL-1:Jo Bonner(R)
FL-19:Trey Radel(R)
LA-5:Rod Alexander(R)
MA-5:Ed Markey(D)
MO-9:Jo Ann Emerson(R)
NC-12:Melvin Watt(D)
SC-1:Tim Scott(R) 		Retiring House to run for Senate or Governor:
AR-4:Tom Cotton(R)
GA-1:Jack Kingston(R)
GA-10:Paul Broun(R)
GA-11:Phil Gingrey(R)
HI-1:Colleen Hanabusa(D)
IA-1:Bruce Braley(D)
LA-6:Bill Cassidy(R)
ME-2:Mike Michaud(D)
MI-14:Gary Peters(D)
MT-0:Steve Daines(R)
OK-5:James Lankford(R)
PA-13:Allyson Schwartz(D)
TX-36:Steve Stockman(R)
WV-2:Shelley Capito(R) 		Retiring House as of Jan. 2015::
AL-6:Spencer Bachus(R)
AR-2:Tim Griffin(R)
CA-11:George Miller(D)
CA-25:Howard McKeon(R)
CA-33:Henry Waxman(D)
CA-45:John Campbell(R)
IA-3:Tom Latham(R)
MN-6:Michele Bachmann(R)
NC-6:Howard Coble(R)
NC-7:Mike McIntyre(D)
NJ-3:Jon Runyan(R)
NY-4:Carolyn McCarthy(D)
NY-21:Bill Owens(D)
PA-6:Jim Gerlach(R)
UT-4:Jim Matheson(D)
VA-8:Jim Moran(D)
VA-10:Frank Wolf(R)
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Page last updated: Jul 12, 2015