Unnamed sources tell the New York Post that New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie turned down the chance to be Mitt Romney’s running mate. According to the Post, the Romney campaign wanted Christie to step down as governor in order to join the ticket because pay-to-play laws would have forbidden the largest banks from contributing to the campaign with Christie on the ticket, a result of the fact that big banks do a lot of business in New Jersey.
But sources told the Post that Christie declined because he wasn’t sure Romney would win and didn’t want to risk being out of a job.
“[Christie] felt, at one point, that [President] Obama could lose this. And, look, there still is that chance. But he knows, right now, you have to say it’s unlikely,” one source said.
Christie’s top adviser called the report “inaccurate.”
Christie is scheduled to give the keynote speech at the Republican National Convention just before 11 p.m. EDT on Tuesday.
