2016 Presidential Campaign Blog

The Chris Christie Record: Keeping America Safe As US Attorney

The Chris Christie Record: Keeping America Safe As US Attorney

Over seven years as U.S. Attorney, Chris Christie prosecuted several of the first major anti-terrorism cases post-9/11 while working to prevent future attacks.

• Initiated a restructuring of the US Attorney’s office to place more emphasis and resources on pursuing anti-terrorism cases
• Created a terrorism unit within the US Attorney’s office
• As US Attorney, called the Patriot Act “the single biggest reason why we have been able to prevent another terrorist attack.”
• Prosecuted post-9/11 terror cases:

-The Hemant Lakhani Case
-The Fort Dix Plot
-The Daniel Pearl Case
-Operation Arabian Knight

Focusing U.S. Attorney’s Office On Combating Terrorism:
Chris Christie Initiated A Restructuring Of The US Attorney’s Office To Place More Emphasis And Resources On Pursuing Anti-Terrorism Cases. “The U.S. Attorney's Office for the District of New Jersey, which prosecutes cases and coordinates investigations with the FBI, also is refocusing its efforts to reflect a new top priority of preventing terrorism. Changes unveiled last week by U.S. Attorney Christopher Christie included establishing a terrorism unit to be staffed by as many as eight prosecutors.” (The Star Ledger, 5/30/02)

Christie Created A terrorism unit Within The US Attorney’s Office. “In 2002, he established a terrorism unit with eight assistant U.S. attorneys to focus on domestic terrorism and said frequently that terrorism, not corruption, was his office’s top investigative priority.” (Chris Christie, St. Martin’s Press, 2012)
Christie Called The Patriot Act “The Single Biggest Reason Why We Have Been Able To Prevent Another Terrorist Attack.” “Christie has defended the Patriot Act, including one highly controversial portion of the law that allowed the government to investigate what materials people had taken out of public libraries. ‘The USA Patriot Act is, I believe, the single biggest reason why we have been able to prevent another terrorist attack in the last five years,’ he said in 2007.” (Chris Christie, St. Martin’s Press, 2012)

Prosecuting Post-9/11 Terror Cases:
The Hemant Lakhani Case: Hemant Lakhani, through his recorded statements, made it clear he was willing to broker the sale of shoulder-fired missiles to shoot down American passenger jets. The FBI’s Joint Terrorism Task Force infiltrated the operation and, after a lengthy trial led by Christie’s office, Lakhani was convicted of: Attempted material support to terrorists; Money laundering (two counts); and Attempting to import merchandise into the U.S. by means of false statements.

The Fort Dix Plot: In May 2007, Christie and Philadelphia FBI Special Agent in Charge J.P. Weis announced the arrests of five local Islamic men for their alleged plot to kill U.S. soldiers at various installations, including the Fort Dix Army base in New Jersey. A sixth man was arrested and charged with providing them with guns to train. The prosecution of the six men accused was uncovered through sixteen months of hard work from the Joint Terrorism Task Force and U.S. Attorney’s Office.

The Daniel Pearl Case: Wall Street Journal South Asia Bureau Chief Daniel Pearl was kidnapped on Jan. 23, 2002, by Islamic radicals in Pakistan and beheaded on videotape. Through a creative venue approach – the kidnapping was perpetrated in part via email through the Dow Jones/Wall Street Journal’s computer servers in South Brunswick – Christie’s office secured the indictment of Ahmad Omar Saeed Sheikh, the lead perpetrator of the kidnapping. As a result of exceptional international law enforcement and intelligence community cooperation, Omar Sheikh was arrested shortly after the murder and sentenced to death.

Operation Arabian Knight: In an investigation started four years earlier by the FBI and U.S. Attorney’s Office, Carlos Eduardo Almonte and Mohamed Mahmood Alessa were arrested in June 2010 at JFK International Airport in New York while attempting to board separate flights to Egypt. Almonte and Alessa had intended to travel to southern Somalia to join al Shabaab, an Al Qaeda-linked militant Islamic organization. The two were charged with conspiring to kill, maim and kidnap people outside the United States.
• Christie’s office secured authorization for physical surveillance of Alessa and Almonte through the U.S. Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Court. For the next three years, Almonte and Alessa were tailed and photographed, their phones were tapped and their computer activity was monitored.

The Chris Christie Record: Bringing Fiscal Sanity To New Jersey

The Chris Christie Record: Bringing Fiscal Sanity To New Jersey

After decades of gross mismanagement and shortsighted budgeting practices, Governor Christie came into office and acted decisively to bring the State’s budget back into balance and struck a path of responsibility and reform.

• Closing $13 billion in combined deficits in his first six months
• Holding discretionary spending $2.3 billion below 2008 levels
• Six Years with no new taxes including repeatedly vetoing income and business tax increases
• 9,400 fewer state government employees
• Sweeping Pension and benefits reform saving taxpayers over $120 billion
• More Pension Contributions Than Any Governor In History – $4.2 billion
• 2 Percent property tax cap resulting in the slowest rise “in more than two decades”
• A cap on arbitration awards to union employees, reining in the cost of government

Holding Discretionary Spending Below 2008 Levels: Governor Christie has reinforced his commitment never to return to the reckless spending and fiscal irresponsibility in Trenton that brought New Jersey to the brink of catastrophe, by holding Fiscal Year 2016 discretionary spending $2.3 billion below Fiscal Year 2008 levels.

Six Years With No New Taxes: In the eight years before Governor Christie took office, taxes and fees had been increased 115 times making New Jersey the most heavily taxed state in the nation and placing an undue burden on residents and job-creators alike. Since then, Governor Christie has signed six consecutive balanced budgets without raising taxes once, and repeatedly vetoing tax increases passed by the legislature.

9,400 Fewer State Government Employees: Governor Christie’s responsible management has resulted in a more efficient and streamlined State government. There are more than 9,400 fewer State government employees than when the Governor took office.

Sweeping Pension And Benefits Reform: Governor Christie signed into law landmark pension and health benefit reform in June 2011, marking months of hard work, negotiation, compromise and ultimately bipartisan support. While Governor Christie made clear that more work was needed, critical savings were achieved – over $120 billion in savings for New Jersey taxpayers.

More Pension Contributions Than Any Governor In History: Through FY ‘16, Governor Christie will have contributed more to the pension system than any other governor in New Jersey state history – nearly $4.2 billion, compared to the $3.4 billion in contributions made by all previous governors from 1995 through 2010.

2 Percent Property Tax Cap: Governor Christie signed a two percent hard cap on property taxes, cutting out loopholes and putting control back in the hands of property taxpayers. The Result: Property taxes are rising at their slowest pace “in more than two decades” in a “hard-fought milestone for one of the highest-taxed states in America.”

Interest Arbitration Reform: Governor Christie signed into law interest arbitration reform that provides municipalities with the help they need to keep property taxes down. The reform provides a meaningful cap of two percent on arbitration awards to union employees, reining in the cost of government

Chris Christie Travels to Atlanta, Georgia for the RedState Gathering on August 7, 2015

Chris Christie Travels to Atlanta, Georgia for the RedState Gathering on August 7, 2015

MORRISTOWN, NJ -  Tomorrow, Governor Christie is traveling to Cleveland, Ohio to participate in the Fox News/Facebook Republican Primary Debate. On Friday morning, the Governor will travel to Atlanta, Georgia for the RedState gathering and a number of private meetings.

Friday, August 7, 2015

10:30 AM    

RedState Gathering
InterContinental Buckhead Atlanta
3315 Peachtree Rd NE
Atlanta, GA 30326

Chris Christie Travels to Cleveland, Ohio to Participate in Fox News/Facebook Republican Primary Debate on August 6, 2015

Chris Christie Travels to Cleveland, Ohio to Participate in Fox News/Facebook Republican Primary Debate on August 6, 2015

MORRISTOWN, NJ -  Tomorrow, Governor Christie is traveling to Cleveland, Ohio to participate in the Fox News/Facebook Republican Primary Debate.

Thursday, August 6, 2015
10:30 AM    LIVE Radio Interview with Laura Ingraham

9:00 PM    Fox News/Facebook Republican Primary Debate

Quicken Loans Arena
1 Center Court
Cleveland, OH 44115

Chris Christie Visits New Hampshire on Monday, August 3, 2015 and Tuesday, August 4, 2015

Chris Christie Visits New Hampshire on Monday, August 3, 2015 and Tuesday, August 4, 2015

MORRISTOWN, NJ -  On Monday and Tuesday next week, the Governor will be back in New Hampshire participating in the Voter's First Republican Presidential Forum and holding his 16th New Hampshire town hall.

Monday, August 3, 2015

4:00 PM    

Visit the Puritan Backroom
245 Hooksett Rd
Manchester, NH 03104
 
7:00 PM    

Voters First Republican Presidential Forum
New Hampshire Institute of Politics at St. Anselm College - The Dana Center
100 St Anselm Dr
Manchester, NH 03102

Tuesday, August 4, 2015

8:00 AM    

Town Hall Meeting at Blake's Restaurant & Creamery
353 S. Main St
Manchester, NH 03102
RSVP: RSVPs are encouraged for this event - http://bit.ly/1IO2rim
*Doors open at 7:00 AM

Chris Christie Visits Iowa on Friday, July 31, 2015 and Saturday, August 1, 2015

Chris Christie Visits Iowa on Friday, July 31, 2015 and Saturday, August 1, 2015

MORRISTOWN, NJ -  Tomorrow, Governor Christie will travel back to Iowa to host a town hall in Cedar Falls and several retail stops. He will also attend a number of private meetings and a fundraiser in support of Senator Grassley.

Friday, July 31, 2015

12:00 PM    
Meet and Greet at the Shot Tower Inn
390 Locust St
Dubuque, IA 52001
RSVP: RSVPs are encouraged for this event - http://bit.ly/07-31-15

5:30 PM    
Town Hall Meeting at Beck's Sports Grill
2210 College St
Cedar Falls, IA 50613
RSVP: RSVPs are encouraged for this event - http://bitly.com/07-31

Saturday, August 1, 2015

8:45 AM     
Cedar Valley Irish Fest
Corner of E Park and Mulberry St
Waterloo, IA

1:00 PM     
Visit Iowa Speedway NASCAR Garage, Infield
Iowa Speedway
3333 Rusty Wallace Dr
Newton, IA 50208

1:45 PM     
Greets Attendees at US Cellular 250 NASCAR Race
Iowa Speedway
3333 Rusty Wallace Dr
Newton, IA 50208

5:30 PM     
Bruce Rastetter's Summer Party
Hubbard, IA

Tell It Like It Is Town Hall Meeting with Chris Christie in Manchester, New Hampshire on Tuesday, August 4, 2015

Tell It Like It Is Town Hall Meeting with Chris Christie in Manchester, New Hampshire on Tuesday, August 4, 2015

When:
Tuesday, August 4, 2015 from 8:00 AM to 9:30 AM (EDT)

Where:
Blake's Creamery Inc
353 South Main Street
Manchester, NH 03102

Hosted By:
Chris Christie for President, Inc.

Register for this event now at :
http://www.eventbrite.com/e/tell-it-like-it-is-town-hall-meeting-with-chris-christie-tickets-17941102320

Event Details:

Town Hall Meeting in Manchester

DATE: Tuesday, August 4, 2015
TIME: 8:00 AM *Doors open at 7:00 AM, town hall meeting starts at 8:00 AM
LOCATION: 353 South Main Street, Manchester, NH 03102

Chris Christie Ankeny Iowa Town Hall Video at DMACC Automotive Lab, July 25, 2015

Chris Christie Iowa Town Hall Photos, DMACC, Ankeny, July 25, 2015 Part 4 of 4 #Christie2016

Chris Christie Iowa Town Hall Photos, DMACC, Ankeny, July 25, 2015 Part 3 of 4 #Christie2016