“New Jersey’s attorney general has stepped into the investigation of President Trump’s $107 million presidential inaugural fund, issuing an administrative subpoena for the fund’s financial records, including any that document fund-raising in the state,” the New York Times reports.
“The New Jersey subpoena also demands records of any contributions made on behalf of foreigners, who are barred from contributing to inaugural funds, campaigns or political action committees in the United States.”
“An official in the Murphy administration described in harrowing terms Tuesday how high-ranking members of Gov. Phil Murphy’s (D) campaign and staff, including the governor himself, failed to act when she tried to alert them about a campaign aide who she says raped her,” the Philadelphia Inquirer reports.
Politico: “The man aspiring to be the new face of the resistance is a practicing Sikh who likes to call attention to his turban and happens to have jurisdiction over 20 of President Trump’s properties, including Bedminster.”
“New Jersey Attorney General Gurbir Grewal says he sees an opening in the continuing wake left by New York Attorney General Eric Schneiderman’s surprise resignation, and he’s ready to take it.”
Bergen County Record: “To most people, the image that sums up Chris Christie’s time as governor is the picture of him on that beach closed to everyone else, in that chair with his family and friends while the public was shut out of state parks on a holiday weekend during a government shutdown.”
“The image that Christie wants to officially mark his time as governor and the one that the public is paying for will be painted by an Australian artist… At a total of $85,000, Christie’s portrait will cost more than what his three predecessors combined paid to have their images hang in commemoration of their political service.”
A new Monmouth poll in New Jersey finds Democrats have a 19 point advantage over Republicans in the generic House ballot, 54% to 35%.
“If this result holds, it would mark a substantially better result for Congressional Democrats in New Jersey than in recent elections. Democrats won the statewide House vote by 8 points (53% to 45%) in 2016 and an even smaller 2 points (50% to 48%) in the 2014 midterm. Moreover, the poll finds that the overall swing is coming mainly from GOP-held seats.”
“In the five House seats currently held by a Republican, voter preference is split nearly evenly at 46% for the GOP candidate and 44% for the Democrat. The aggregate vote from these five districts in the past two House elections averaged a sizable 22 point advantage for the Republicans (59% – 38% in 2016 and 61% – 38% in 2014). On the other hand, the poll’s vote share in the seven seats currently held by Democrats – 59% Dem to 28% GOP – is in line with the average 30 point advantage Democrats held in these districts in both 2016 (65% – 32%) and 2014 (62% – 36%).”
Said pollster Patrick Murray: “This is pretty astounding. Not only are New Jersey Democrats doing better on the generic House ballot statewide, but the shift is coming almost entirely from districts currently held by the GOP. If these results hold, we could be down to just one or two – or maybe even zero – Republican members in the state congressional delegation after November.”
A new Rutgers-Eagleton Poll finds that just 5% of New Jersey residents said they are going to miss Gov. Chris Christie (R) when he leaves office later this month.
The margin of error is +/- 3%.
“Christie will end his second term as the most disapproved and disliked since Eagleton began surveying the public almost five decades ago. Thirteen percent have a favorable impression of him (a new low for this
final measurement of his likability), compared to 68% who are unfavorable.”
“Chris Christie is heading into his final six months as governor presiding over New Jersey’s biggest government crisis in more than a decade: A shutdown that will literally turn the lights out in Trenton,” Politico reports.
“New Jersey lawmakers failed to pass a budget by the annual deadline at midnight last night, and Christie promptly issued an order sparking the closure of government offices and services deemed non-essential. State parks and beaches will likely be closed this morning, just in time for the holiday, as will motor vehicle offices. Courts could be closed come Monday. Tens of thousands of state government employees will be furloughed.”
A new Monmouth University Poll in New Jersey finds Gov. Chris Christie’s job rating at another all-time low, 27% to 63%.
The poll also found that twice as many New Jerseyans say that the state is currently worse off (41%) because of Christie’s time as governor than say it is better off (21%).
A new Monmouth poll in New Jersey shows Hillary Clinton just ahead of Donald Trump in the presidential race, 38% to 34%.
Another 11% volunteer that they will vote for a third party or independent candidate even though the poll question did not include that option, and 15% say they are undecided.
A new Rutgers-Eagleton poll finds Donald Trump leading Gov. Chris Christie in a New Jersey GOP presidential primary, 21% to 12%, with Jeb Bush and Scott Walker back at 10%.
A new Quinnipiac poll in New Jersey finds voters are giving Gov. Chris Christie his lowest approval rating yet, 38% to 56%.
Key finding: “A majority — 53% to 38% — thinks the governor knew about the traffic situation on the George Washington Bridge, but most say that he did not personally order it.”
James Keady, the man whom Gov. Chris Christie famously told to “sit down and shut up” will be running instead — for state Assembly, the Newark Star Ledger reports.
A new Rutgers-Eagleton poll in New Jersey finds Hillary Clinton leads Gov. Chris Christie in a possible presidential match up by 23 points, 58% to 35%.
☑️ Sick of biased news? Check out a newsletter loved by millions, called 1440. You'll save time and start your day smarter. And it's free.
☑️ Subscribe to Political Wire's new companion newsletter Politics Extra. It's free.
Taegan Goddard is the founder of Political Wire, one of the earliest and most influential political web sites. He also runs Political Job Hunt, Electoral Vote Map and the Political Dictionary.
Goddard spent more than a decade as managing director and chief operating officer of a prominent investment firm in New York City. Previously, he was a policy adviser to a U.S. Senator and Governor.
Goddard is also co-author of You Won - Now What? (Scribner, 1998), a political management book hailed by prominent journalists and politicians from both parties. In addition, Goddard's essays on politics and public policy have appeared in dozens of newspapers across the country.
Goddard earned degrees from Vassar College and Harvard University. He lives in New York with his wife and three sons.