On a conference call between Gov. Jon Corzine (D-NJ) and progressive bloggers, I just asked Corzine a key question about the reported investigation of acting U.S. Attorney Ralph Marra, for having potentially helped out his predecessor and now-Republican gubernatorial nominee Chris Christie through his public comments about the recent big federal corruption raid.
The question is: Did Corzine, or anyone connected to his administration or campaign, speak to the Justice Department and ask for or encourage that investigation of Marra?
“No,” Corzine replied. “Pure, simple, no.”
Corzine generally spoke of Christie as having politicized the U.S. Attorney’s office, through a pursuit of mainly corrupt Democrats in the state. He also reiterated his point that Christie’s recently revealed past conversations with Karl Rove, in which a future run for governor was discussed, were a potential violation of the Hatch Act. Corzine said that the potential legal violation by Christie “has undermined at least the stated reputation of being a corruption fighter in the public’s mind.”
Corzine also attacked Christie’s ethics, bringing up a tag-line in a recent round of Republican Governors Association ads that tell voters to watch what Corzine does, not what he says.
“It couldn’t apply more appropriately to my opponent. He is a classic ‘Do as I say, not as I do,'” said Corzine. “He’s into no-bid contracts as he chastises them, into pay to play. He gave out 400 contracts as a county freeholder that were of the same ilk he’s been critical of. And now we find out there’s the potential for his own failure to report and potentially paying taxes.” (Corzine is referring here to the personal loan that Christie made to a subordinate in the U.S. Attorney’s office, which was not reported on ethics forms nor on his taxes. Christie has called it a mistake, and said he will file amended forms.)
“The idea that the Hatch Act was violated under the Rove conditions, I think comes under the rubric, and overall pattern of not practicing what you preach — in fact, doing the opposite of what one preaches,” said Corzine. “And if you ask me which one is the most serious, I think the Hatch Act is. The politicization of U.S. Attorney’s offices across the country — and we know that occurred, certainly the New Mexico case confirms — he was labeled a loyal, trusted Bush advocate in the U.S. Attorney’s office. I think that’s the major problem he has.”
