Christopher J. Christie
Christopher J. Christie was nominated to be New Jersey's United States Attorney on December 7, 2001.
Chris was unanimously confirmed by the United States Senate and served seven years as the chief federal law enforcement officer in the State of New Jersey.
During Chris's term as US Attorney, his efforts in battling political corruption, corporate crime, human trafficking, gangs, terrorism and polluters were praised by leaders in both parties and drew national attention. His successful prosecutions included:
* High-profile politicians from both parties
* Large settlements from companies corrupting our healthcare system
* Aggressively prosecuting child pornographers, including the two biggest cases in the U.S. in the last eight years
* A comprehensive rooting out of fraud at the largest medical school in the country
* The dismantling of several violent street gangs, including the Double II Bloods
* The disruption of several terrorist plots and the jailing of their perpetrators, such as the plan to invade Fort Dix
* Holding to account several large-scale ocean polluters and winning significant punishment and large fines
As US Attorney, Chris led a 145-lawyer department with offices in Newark, Trenton, and Camden. His office was charged with the enforcement of federal civil and criminal laws in New Jersey. In that capacity he works with the FBI, DEA, ATF, Secret Service, Immigration and Customs Enforcement, Postal Inspectors and other federal agencies in New Jersey.
In June 2007, the New York Times wrote, "Mr. Christie has already had an effect on an important state issue outside the realm of corruption, with an impact that is as subtle as his attack on Trenton politicians was sharp. That issue is the state’s $33.5 billion budget, shorn this year of members’ parochial spending, called Christmas tree items, that has been inserted in the budget in past years at the last minute."
Upon Chris's resignation on December 1, 2008, every major newspaper in the state applauded Christie's term as New Jersey's US Attorney. The Philadelphia Inquirer wrote: "Christie has already done more good for New Jersey than some previous governors. His office successfully prosecuted more than 130 public officials. And it has not lost a single corruption case." The Courier News wrote: “Christie seems at times to be the only one with any power who cares about New Jersey’s political corruption and does anything to stop it.” And The Record wrote: “All New Jerseyans owe him a huge debt of gratitude for refusing to accept this state’s sleazy status quo…has been central to the wave of reforms that have swept Trenton and is slowly spreading to county and local levels.”
In 2004, the Corporate Crime Reporter named Chris one of America’s top ten prosecutors.
Chris began his legal career in 1987, when he joined the law firm of Dughi, Hewit & Palatucci in Cranford, New Jersey. In 1993, he was named a Partner in the firm. Chris was admitted to the Bar of the State of New Jersey and the Bar of the United States District Court, District of New Jersey in 1987. From 1995 to 1997, Chris served as a Morris County Freeholder and he was elected Director of the Board in 1997.
After graduating from the University of Delaware in 1984 with a BA degree, Chris then attended Seton Hall University School of Law where he graduated in 1987 with a JD degree.
Born in Newark and raised in Livingston, Chris has lived in New Jersey his entire life. He resides in Mendham, New Jersey, with his wife of 23 years, Mary Pat, and their four children.
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