Speculating about Chris Christie for attorney general — again

Hey, look. We’re talking about Chris Christie for attorney general again.

I’ve lost count of how many times this has been speculated about. But of course there’s an opening so it is a real possibility. And news outlets are reporting not only that he’s under consideration, but that he was at the White House yesterday (apparently his visit was pre-planned).

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Anyone worried about the Mueller investigation should take notice of the Christie administration and Christie-run U.S. Attorney’s Office’s history when it comes to quashing investigations.

The most notable and cut and dried case was the way his administration went in and killed the indictments against Hunterdon County Sheriff Debra Trout and her allies. The administration denied wrongdoing, of course, even as it paid out a $1.5 million settlement to the fired whistleblower, Ben Barlyn. But if you look at the facts that we know about this case, the administration never had any convincing answers about why it went in and shut the case down. And you don’t just pay $1.5 million to a whistleblower if the allegations are frivolous. Then again, it’s not like it was Christie’s money.

But then again, Christie might have to recuse himself from the Russia probe as attorney general.

WHERE’S MURPHY? At Princeton University to speak at the Andlinger Center for Energy & the Environment. 9:15 a.m.

HAPPY BIRTHDAY — Burlington County Freeholder Balvir Singh, Kaufman Zita’s Beth Dohm, NJLCV’s Lee Clark, Insurance Council’s Christopher Stark, Assembly Dem staffer Nicole Brown, Former state Senate candidate Jan Bidwell, WNBC’s Howard Gowa. Saturday for state Sen. Joe Vitale, ABC News’ Josh Margolin. Sunday for Sussex County Sheriff Mike Strada, Archer & Greiner’s Brian Nelson, Mukherji COS Justin Shoham

QUOTE OF THE DAY: . “I’ll let you in on a secret. I have not watched a single negative attack against me.” — Andy Kim to The Philadelphia Inquirer’s Amy S. Rosenberg (story below)

THE SCANDAL — “Select committee to hear from Katie Brennan about sexual assault allegation,” by POLITICO’s Ryan Hutchins: “A state official who accused a former Murphy campaign staffer of rape will be the first witness to testify before a special legislative committee that’s investigating the hiring practices of Gov. Phil Murphy’s administration. The Select Oversight Committee, which held its first meeting Thursday, is expected to interview Katie Brennan, the chief of staff at the New Jersey Housing and Mortgage Finance Agency, when it meets Dec. 4, said state Senate Majority Leader Loretta Weinberg, the co-chair of the new committee …. ‘This is not a partisan issue, it’s not a political issue and it’s not an issue that is confined to any one government entity, or to any branch of government or to the public sector,’ Weinberg (D-Bergen) said at the briefing meeting in Trenton. ‘As we have all learned during what is now called the #MeToo era, the problem is sexual assault, harassment and abuse is a problem that is pervasive and has been with us a long time. Many of us have experienced it first-hand. There are survivors in this room today. There are survivors sitting on this committee.’” Read the report

— Select committee orders Murphy administration officials to preserve documents, by POLITICO’s Matt Friedman: Lawyers for the legislative committee investigating the Murphy administration’s handling of sexual assault allegations against a former staffer have sent letters to the administration and about a dozen of its current and former staffers demanding they preserve documents related to the case. Senate Democrats released the names to POLITICO upon request, a move that displeased officials in the governor’s office. “It is disappointing that the Legislature decided to leak the names of these staff members,” Murphy spokesman Mahen Gunaratna said in a statement. “From the beginning, we’ve asked that the Legislature’s inquiry stay focused on the issues at hand and not be politicized.” Read the report

OUTBREAK — “Kids died while facility delayed sending them to hospital, workers at Wanaque allege,” by NJ Advance Media’s Susan K. Livio and Spencer Kent: “As a deadly virus started sweeping through a New Jersey pediatric-care facility in late September — ultimately killing 10 children and infecting 19 others so far — health care workers repeatedly asked why the sickest of their young patients were not being transferred out to hospitals. Two employees of the Wanaque Center for Nursing and Rehabilitation, speaking on condition of anonymity over fears of losing their jobs, claimed that senior administrators delayed sending kids to the hospital — even as many started dying. The reason? They said senior staff at the for-profit facility have long been consumed by the need to keep the 92 beds in the pediatric unit full, to keep Medicaid funds flowing. At the same time, they claimed the facility was chronically understaffed to save money.” Read the report

THE JOB ABOUT NOTHING — “With investigation looming, Gov. Murphy’s office gives new details about hire,” by The Record’s Dustin Racioppi: “As state lawmakers prepare to probe the hiring practices of Gov. Phil Murphy’s administration, his office is providing new details about the duties of a former campaign consultant who was involved in a Bermudan political scandal … He was listed in payroll records as a ‘govt rep 1’ in the Secretary of State’s office earning $140,000 a year, but, at that time, three people in the office said they did not see him in the office or know who he was. Green now earns $155,000, according to payroll records, thanks to a law Murphy signed to give certain staff raises … Murphy’s office said that Green was on ‘mobility,’ meaning he is listed in payroll records in one department but works in another. That is a common practice of governors. Murphy’s office on Nov. 2 also showed the Network handwritten timesheets for Green, photos of his fourth-floor office in the governor’s temporary headquarters on State Street that were taken that day and emails among Green and a Cabinet official for events. That type of information had been requested the day before the initial Green story ran, and before lawmakers decided to investigate the administration’s hiring practices. The administration did not offer detailed specifics on Green’s daily activities.” Read the report

WHATCHA GONNA SIGN? GHOST GUN BILL! — ‘Murphy signs bill aimed at preventing ‘ghost guns’,” by POLITICO’s Ryan Hutchins: Gov. Phil Murphy on Thursday signed a bill aimed at combating “ghost guns” that are built with untraceable parts. The measure, NJ S2465 (18R), expands the state’s current law that bans the manufacturing of guns without a license to also ban buying parts or kits from “which an untraceable firearm may be readily assembled.” The new law also makes it illegal to distribute information that would allow people to create such weapons on 3-D printers. Read the report

R.I.P. — “Veronica McGreevey, mother of former governor, dies” Read the report

—Ed commissioner: ‘Not my job to use my bias’ to determine charter school laws” Read the report

NJ 11TH FOR CAREFULLY CALIBRATING YOUR VOTES TO APPEAL TO AS BROAD A SWATH AS THE ELECTORATE AS POSSIBLE — “Impeach Trump? Victorious NJ ‘blue wave’ Democrats have other ideas,” by The Record’s Charles Stile: “The prospect of House Democrats armed with subpoena power and an appetite for payback is clearly giving President Donald Trump fits. But as far as New Jersey’s newly elected freshman are concerned, he has nothing to worry about. At least for now. ‘I hope the president’s tone is not what the tone is in Congress, because I know we have so much to do,’’ said Mikie Sherrill, who won the Morris County-centric 11th Congressional District on Tuesday … The incoming New Jersey class of House Democrats did not campaign by vowing to make life a living hell for Trump. While buoyed by grass-roots, anti-Trump anger among suburban voters, Tuesday’s three Democratic winners (and a possible fourth) ran as pragmatic moderates in traditionally Republican swing districts. They lowered the volume on anti-Trump rhetoric and stuck to generic, bread-and-butter issues, like ending the much-reviled limit on the state and local tax deduction of Trump’s signature tax overhaul. They promised to use their newfound leverage to somehow prod the Trump administration to finance the stalled Gateway rail and tunnel project. And instead of vowing to wage a political jihad on Trump in the run-up to his 2020 reelection, the New Jersey newcomers see an opportunity to negotiate with Trump and the (small) bloc of Republican moderates in the Senate to stabilize health insurance and prescription costs.” Read the report

AND YOU WOULDN’T HAVE BEEN CALLED RACIST IF YOU DIDN’T POST RACIST STUFF — “I would have won if people didn’t call me a racist, GOP House candidate says,” by NJ Advance Media’s Chris Franklin and Bill Gallor Jr.: “His was a campaign with little money and scant support from state and national Republican leaders, but Seth Grossman made an unexpectedly strong showing in the race to fill New Jersey’s Second Congressional District seat. He says it was a campaign he could have been a victor in. ‘There’s no doubt in my mind that if I did not have unnecessary distractions thrown into my path I would have won yesterday’s election as a pro-Trump candidate because this is a pro-Trump district,’ Grossman said Wednesday. … Grossman stuck to his conservative message saying he was needed in the House to help carry forward President Donald J. Trump’s agenda. He said it was Democrat mischief that spread word he had forwarded via Facebook an article from a group known for promoting pro-white nationalist content. ‘I was distracted trying to prove I’m not a racist,’ he said. Also he was seen on video saying ‘diversity is a bunch of crap and un-American.’” Read the report

(RECORD SCRATCH). HOLD UP — I’m not a media critic. And lord knows I’ve made plenty of mistakes over the years. But I can’t let this pass without comment. The above story on Seth Grossman allows him to complain he was unfairly branded a racist without giving any sense of just how much bigoted content Grossman wrote or shared online over the years. It wasn’t just the two instances named in the article. There were dozens. He suggested there was a plot to lower white birth rates, or as he put it, get whites to “commit mass suicide.” One of the things responsible for this white mass suicide? “Gay culture.” He said Black History Month was too long. He called Islam a “cancer” and said Muslims “want to take over our country.” Most of this comes from CNN’s great compilation of Grossman’s online history. There’s much, much more. Come on. If he’s going to claim he’s a victim, show the full picture.

HAS ANYONE SEEN TOM MACARTHUR SINCE TUESDAY? “Andy Kim takes his victory lap after claiming election win over Rep. Tom MacArthur,” by The Philadelphia Inquirer’s Amy S. Rosenberg: “It’s the long-sought morning-after for Kim, 36, a former national security adviser in the Obama administration who declared victory Wednesday night in his long-shot quest to unseat two-term incumbent Republican Rep. Tom MacArthur, 58, a former insurance executive viewed by many as the most Trump-aligned congressman in New Jersey and an architect of the failed GOP attempt to repeal the Affordable Care Act. The victory has yet to be made official, as thousands of paper ballots remain to be counted in the district that runs a trifecta of Jersey corridors — I-295, Route 130, and Route 70 — but Kim is taking a spin on the classic Jersey victory lap: hosting reporters one-by-one in a diner booth Thursday. ‘I’ll let you in on a secret,’ he says, ‘I have not watched a single negative attack against me.’” Read the report

— Golden: “Hugin Loss Was Especially Demoralizing for NJ Republicans” Read the column

— “Christie: Candidates matter” Read the report

—Wildstein: “Recalling the time Republicans won the map” Read the column

—Steinberg: “Trump toxicity plus Chris Christie — Bill Palatucci suzerainty resulted in the 2018 NJGOP meltdown” Read the column

—“With NJ supper clubs, immigrants, allies fight fear with food” Read the report

GRITTY GRITTY GRITTY, CAN’T YOU SEE, I WANT YOU TO REPRESENT ME — “Lewd wave: Some Camden County voters went for Sexy, Whiskey and Sin,” by The Courier-Post’s Jim Walsh: “Sometimes when the people speak, it’s best not to listen. Well, at least when you’re analyzing write-in votes from Tuesday’s election. Consider that someone proposed these candidates for area school boards — Bill Cosby in Pine Hill, Voldemort in Pennsauken and Sin in Stratford. Not to mention Communist in Winslow, Whiskey in the Eastern Regional school district, and some guy in Berlin Borough with the middle name of ‘Sexy.’ … And some want to support the latest polling-place phenom. That explains 14 votes for this fall’s rising star — a charismatic figure seen by some as a possible senator, congressman or county sheriff. It’s Gritty, the Flyers mascot who also got votes for school board seats in Audubon, Clementon, Cherry Hill, Collingswood and Haddon Township.” Read the report

ROCKAWAY CLOSE TO FORFEITING ITS RIGHT TO EXIST AS ITS OWN MUNICIPALITY — “Rockaway Township gets its fifth mayor in three months,” by The Daily Record’s Gene Myers: “Rockaway Township gained a new mayor Tuesday night — its fifth one since August. Michael Puzio is the newly elected mayor, but perhaps it will take some time before residents get that right. In August, longtime Mayor Michael Dachisen died from a heart attack, said his family. The day after his death, Council President Jeremy Jedynak became the acting mayor. His term was only good for 30 days. At the end of that term, and in the midst of some local political drama, the council named Paul Minenna interim mayor. Following a lawsuit accusing the council of missing its deadline to name an interim mayor, a judge’s ruling [led] to the appointment of a new interim mayor, Adam Salberg. Salberg and Minenna each served in the mayor position about a month.” Read the report

I’M MOST OFFENDED BY THE USE OF A QUOTATION MARK IN PLACE OF AN APOSTROPHE THAT WOULD BE INCORRECT ANYWAY — “A ‘Soviet’ North Jersey? Berkeley cop, school board member shares post calling for NJ split,” by The Asbury Park Press’ Kathleen Hopkins: “Two days after winning a seat on the Central Regional Board of Education, a township police officer shared a Facebook post comparing North Jersey to the Soviet Union and suggesting a canal be built to separate it from the southern portion of the state. Officer George Dohn this morning shared a post that said, ‘Time to cut ties with North Jersey. Build a canal!’’ Beneath those words on the post was a colorful map of the Garden State on which the northeastern portion of the state was colored blue and labeled ‘North Jersey.’ A red hammer and sickle, the symbol of the Soviet Union, is emblazoned above the label. On a green portion of the map to the left, there is a black arrow pointing to the North Jersey section. Above the arrow in black are the words, ‘Liberal NY WANNA BE”s.’” Read the report

NOTHING TO SEE HERE — Latest Newark water samples surpass federal guidelines for lead, by POLITICO’s Danielle Muoio and Sam Sutton: Mayor Ras Baraka on Thursday ardently defended Newark’s response to dangerous levels of lead leaching into the city’s drinking water, even as the most recently available state data indicates the problem persists. Approximately two thirds of the water samples tested by the city last month and submitted to the state Department of Environmental Protection showed lead levels in excess of the 15 parts per billion federal limit, according to state data. Three of the 32 samples exceeded 50 parts per billion, more than three times the legal limit. The latest results come as city officials face growing scrutiny over their response to the potential public health crisis. The city has repeatedly declared its water is “absolutely safe” to drink and is “some of the best water in the state of New Jersey,” despite being cited by the DEP for lead contamination three times since 2017. Read the report

WHY I LEFT — “Sorry women, you still can’t go topless in Jersey City,” by The Jersey Journal’s Terrence T. McDonald: “The City Council on Wednesday approved a slew of changes to the city’s old obscenity law, changes supporters said will bring the law into the 21st Century and conform to modern community standards on what is obscene. The most eye-catching provision of the new obscenity law — a plan to allow women to bare their breasts in public — was removed when it became clear that a majority of council members would not support it. The version adopted on Wednesday continues the topless ban for women. Councilman James Solomon, who pushed for the obscenity law changes after the city threatened to shut down a Newark Avenue bar because of a planned appearance by burlesque star Lillian Bustle, called Wednesday’s vote ‘an important step forward.’” Read the report

CAUSE TWO OUT OF THREE AIN’T BAD — “Three N.J. towns got a chance to vote on marijuana. Two said they want it,” by NJ Advance Media’s Payton Guion: “More than 40 towns have already voted in opposition of marijuana, way more than the number of towns that are supportive. But on Tuesday, voters in three New Jersey towns got the chance to have their say on marijuana. Two of those municipalities, Union Township and Vineland, said they wanted marijuana in the town, while Bridgeton mostly voted against having weed businesses. All three votes are non-binding, meaning that town officials can still make their own decision on whether to allow weed businesses, but it does give them a good idea of how their constituents feel.” Read the report

—“Traditional Republican strongholds in Passaic County shifted blue with Sherrill taking leads” Read the report

—“Emerson elects first woman as mayor” Read the report

—“Hoboken council ousts planning board member for alleged ethical breach” Read the report

NEW SMELL TO ENJOY ON THE TURNPIKE — “Bug farts help create renewable energy in Central Jersey,” by The Courier News’ Bob Makin: “Would you believe that a bug’s fart can help save energy? It’s true! And in the case of the 85 percent power generated by the methane gas captured from micro-organisms at the Joint Meeting of Union and Essex Counties wastewater treatment plant in Elizabeth, part of the ‘food‘ the bugs digest is collected from grease traps at Rutgers University. Known as FOG (fats, oils and grease), the byproduct is collected by Russell Reid, an industrial waste management company in the Keasbey section of Woodbridge, carted from university dining halls, offloaded at the treatment plant, and served to millions microscopic critters.” Read the report

THIS MIDDLE-AGED CONGRESSMAN — Rep. Donald Norcross will be on PBS’ “This Old House,” according to a press release from his office. He “spoke with VoTech students about the importance of apprenticeships and assisted with electrical work,” the release says. The episode airs Saturday. Check your local listings.

— “’This place saved my life.’ A recovery choir helped these addicts turn their lives around” Read the report

—“Rutgers paid Aminé $65K to perform at Beats on the Bank” Read the report