When I argued yesterday that New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie (R) was having a no-good, very-bad week, I didn’t realize at the time that things could still get just a little worse.
New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie was questioned by federal investigators looking into the 2013 George Washington Bridge lane closure scheme that has left a lasting stain on his administration, according to reports. […]Federal prosecutors and FBI agents met with Christie — a potential 2016 presidential candidate — at the governor’s mansion in Princeton last month for more than two hours. The meeting was voluntary, according to ABC News, though prosecutors considered a subpoena.
The news was reported by ABC News and the Wall Street Journal, and confirmed this afternoon by NBC affiliate WNBC.
A spokesperson for the governor said in a statement, “Gov. Christie made clear from day one that he and his administration would fully cooperate with all appropriate inquiries. That’s exactly what he has done and will continue to do, and he is very much looking forward to this matter’s conclusion.”
Members of the New Jersey state legislature may take issue with the assertion that the governor is “fully cooperating with all appropriate inquiries,” but that’s another story.
It’s worth noting that Christie’s discussion with federal investigators may have been harmless. Maybe prosecutors and FBI agents suspect the governor of wrongdoing; maybe they consider him a witness; maybe the interview was a formality. At this point, we don’t know.
But if you’re a Republican donor or sought after GOP staffer weighing which horse to bet on in advance of the 2016 presidential race, and Christie keeps telling you his ignominious troubles are behind him, today may renew skepticism that has dogged the scandal-plagued governor for quite a while.
Indeed, today’s news comes against a backdrop that the governor and his backers have to find discouraging:
* Christie’s re-election campaign was subpoenaed by federal prosecutors;
* A federal grand jury subpoenaed materials related to Christie’s former aide at the Port Authority;
* There are “plenty of unanswered questions” surrounding the governor and his out-of-state travel, which may yet become the subject of their own formal probe.
That’s quite a few developments over the course of six days.
Incidentally, Christie will be traveling to Wisconsin this weekend to see the Dallas Cowboys’ playoff game — but the governor will reportedly be paying his own way.
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Steve Benen is a producer for "The Rachel Maddow Show," the editor of MaddowBlog and an MS NOW political contributor. He's also the bestselling author of "Ministry of Truth: Democracy, Reality, and the Republicans' War on the Recent Past."