Gov. Christie Trying to Keep New Jersey Pension Probe Secret
Watchdog group suing for access to records
As Gov. Chris Christie aims for a landslide win in the November election – with an eye towards the White House in 2016 – there's a criminal investigation the New Jersey governor wants to keep from public view.
His running mate, Lt. Gov. Kim Guadagno, is a central figure in a hush-hush pension fraud probe that began more than two years ago. Now the Christie administration is arguing in court that the outcome, findings and all other records of the investigation should remain state secrets.
In a quest for those records, a New Jersey Watchdog reporter is suing the state Division of Criminal Justice. A hearing is scheduled for Oct. 3 in Mercer County Superior Court.
DCJ began its investigation in May 2011 at the behest of a pension board, according to a sworn statement by a state official. Christie, Guadagno and DCJ officials have declined comment. In court papers, the state refuses to acknowledge whether the case is open or closed.