Lawmakers Kill Gov. Christie's Book Deal, 'Newspaper Revenge'

A rare uprising took hold of the State House on Monday as rank-and-file lawmakers from both parties killed a controversial bill that would have allowed Governor Christie to cash in on a book-publishing deal and give hefty raises to his Cabinet officers, judges and legislative aides.

 

A separate piece of legislation Christie wanted — the so-called “newspaper revenge” bill — was pulled from the agenda late in the evening by its lead sponsor, Assembly Speaker Vincent Prieto, who failed to muster the 41 votes needed for passage. That bill will be debated again next year, Prieto said.

 

It was a stunning turn of events for Christie, who was once regarded as a master of cutting deals with New Jersey’s Democratic political bosses and muscling the bills through the Legislature.

 

And it highlighted his diminished clout as a governor with an 18 percent approval rating, who mounted a failed bid for the Republican presidential nomination this year, and then was passed over for a top job in President-elect Donald Trump’s administration despite being an early supporter. Even Lt. Gov. Kim Guadagno, a Republican likely to run for governor next year, publicly derided the proposed salary increases in Christie’s book legislation.