Christie To Launch National Tour Amid Lane Closure Scandal

Expected 2016 GOP contender

(Reuters) - Battling investigations over the "Bridgegate" scandal in his home state, New Jersey Governor Chris Christie plans to embark on a national tour that will give him a chance to raise money for fellow Republicans, woo conservatives and show party leaders that he is not politically toxic.

Christie - widely viewed as the leading contender for the 2016 Republican nomination for president before the scandal over traffic jams on the George Washington Bridge exploded a month ago - plans to spend the next month crisscrossing the nation as chairman of the Republican Governors Association (RGA).