Editorial: Christie's bad move
Chris Christie, the Republican nominee for governor of New Jersey, showed poor judgment twice in lending $46,000 to a subordinate while he was U.S. attorney.
One mistake, as Christie acknowledged this week, was failing to disclose the loan on his income-tax and financial-disclosure forms. Even though the amount of interest income he receives is minimal (about $2,400 per year), Christie has prosecuted people for income-tax evasion in his former job.
The other mistake, which Christie can't quite seem to understand, was lending the money to a subordinate in the first place. Christie lent the money to a colleague, Michele Brown, who ran up credit-card debts with her husband after he lost his job.
Not only would it have become awkward if Brown failed to pay back the money, but the deal also creates a financial link between the gubernatorial candidate and the federal prosecutor's office. Christie supposedly broke his ties to that office when he resigned last December.
Christie said he wasn't trying to hide anything. Regardless, he created a potential conflict for himself that should give voters some concern about his judgment.
