CINCINNATI — Gov. Chris Christie has been traveling the country, aiding like-minded GOP candidates, offering his support, endorsement and even a little of the newfound political stardust he is enjoying. But the folks who may well have benefited the most from Christie’s most recent sojourn — to Ohio — could be Hess, Harrah’s, Pfizer, PSE&G and the many other...
New Jersey Governor Chris Christie, left, with Ohio gubernatorial candidate John Kasich as they sit at a lunch counter during a campaign stop for Kasich.CINCINNATI — Gov. Chris Christie has been traveling the country, aiding like-minded GOP candidates, offering his support, endorsement and even a little of the newfound political stardust he is enjoying.
But the folks who may well have benefited the most from Christie’s most recent sojourn — to Ohio — could be Hess, Harrah’s, Pfizer, PSE&G and the many other companies represented by Trenton power lobbyist Roger Bodman, who last week accompanied the governor on his 20-hour trip to the Republican bastion of Cincinnati.
A senior partner with Public Strategies Impact who describes himself on the firm’s website as an "icon" of New Jersey lobbying, Bodman was a ranking official in Gov. Tom Kean’s administration and a key adviser to Kean. Bodman explained that his travel with Christie was the result of nothing more than Bodman’s own long-standing friendship with the man Christie was stumping for, Ohio gubernatorial candidate John Kasich. Bodman said he was subbing for former congressman Bob Franks, one of Kasich’s closest friends, who died of cancer earlier this year.
"I understand perception. I’ve been around this business long enough," Bodman said. "But this had nothing to do with lobbying. In life, there are some relationships that pre-date and post-date politics. I would hope no one would read anything more into it. In my mind, I was standing in for Bob Franks, who would have been on that trip if he were alive. People can read what they want, but personal relationships exist."
Christie, who ran for governor on a campaign dedicated to ending the coziness and insider dealing that has become synonymous with state government, has already visited three states in a whirlwind monthlong tour. He returns to the road tomorrow with stops in Wisconsin and Iowa. In recent months, Christie has become the toast of the GOP establishment and his trips are viewed by some as a sign he is angling for a spot on his party’s national ticket in 2012.
PERSONAL MOTIVES
The governor’s top political adviser, Mike DuHaime, said the reasons for Bodman tagging along were personal, not professional. Christie, he said, is not concerned that it could lead to questions.
"Roger Bodman was going as a sign of friendship and support," DuHaime said. "It was great he was able to go."
Christie left New Jersey on a chartered jet Monday and attended a private fundraiser in a wealthy Cincinnati enclave before returning downtown for the night. The following day, Christie headlined an event with Kasich, a former congressman and Fox News personality, and then returned to New Jersey to announce education reform proposals.
Bodman was with the governor the entire way. He said he paid for all of his own expenses except for his place on the private plane, which was covered by the Kasich campaign. Bodman said he would be glad to pay for his spot on the plane if the campaign wants the reimbursement. He said he was the one who asked if Christie would aid the Kasich campaign and he asked the governor if he could go along.
'INFLUENCE PEDDLING'
Despite the personal element to the trip, the fact that a lobbyist had such access to a governor is troubling, watchdogs said.
"This is the epitome of influence peddling," said Craig Holman, an expert on lobbying regulations at Public Citizen in Washington. "In close quarters with an office holder, that’s as great as the wining and dining. Even better. This is something like a lobbyist’s dream come true."
At the federal level, Holman said, recent scandals led former President Bush to sign a law that banned any lobbyist from traveling on a private plane with a member of the House, and severely restricts such trips with senators.
Lobbyist Roger Bodman, left, toured Ohio with Gov. Christie, stumping for gubernatorial candidate John Kasich. He says he was there in lieu of congressman Bob Franks, who died earlier this year and was a friend of Kasich.Holman acknowledged that even the strictest lobbying laws allow for those lobbyists who are "genuine" friends of an elected official to travel in close confines with the politician. That distinction has also been on display during Christie’s trips, where the governor has been accompanied by longtime friend and former law partner Bill Palatucci. Now the chief lobbyist and general counsel for a company specializing in prisoner-rehabilitation that runs halfway houses around the country, Palatucci said he has gone so far as to suspend his registration to lobby in New Jersey since Christie won the election. He said he and the governor make it a policy not to discuss Palatucci’s business and that they "have been disciplined about that."
Palatucci defended Bodman’s presence on the Ohio trip.
"He wasn’t coming on as ‘Roger the lobbyist,’ he was coming as ‘Roger the friend,’â " Palatucci said. "I was sitting there. There was no lobbying going on. There was no business being conducted."
ETHICAL STANDARDS
State Democratic Chairman John Wisniewski said it was a mistake for the governor to travel with Bodman and that Christie needs to live up to the standards to which he holds others.
"You’ve got a governor who has made a career out of saying no one should ever skirt the line," said Wisniewski, referring to Christie’s history as a corruption-busting U.S. attorney. "He’s made a career saying, ‘If you run afoul of ethics rules, I’m coming for you.’ That was his shtick. Highest ethical standards. He’s engaging in the very conduct that he’s pilloried so many others for. The hypocrisy."
Wisniewski said the connection of Christie, DuHaime, Palatucci and Bodman also leads to new questions about the political organization, Reform Jersey Now, which has been set up to push Christie’s agenda even as Christie denies being responsible for its activities. One of the group’s leaders is DuHaime, Palatucci is on the board, Bodman has hosted a fundraiser for the organization and Christie has headlined the gatherings.
"There is no degree of separation between Reform Jersey Now and the inner circle of this administration," Wisniewski said. "The whole trip is suspect."