Christie accepted public matching money for his reelection campaign last year. Christie can fundraise on Bridgegate

Gov. Chris Christie’s re-election campaign can raise money to help it comply with subpoenas issued in the wake of a New Jersey traffic scandal, according to a rare decision by a state panel Tuesday.

The New Jersey Election Law Enforcement Commission voted 2-0 to allow the Republican’s re-election campaign to take that route, confirmed Jeff Brindle, the executive director of the organization.


Allegations that Christie’s aides and allies engineered traffic jams as part of a political vendetta last fall have spurred investigations by state lawmakers and the U.S attorney in New Jersey.

( PHOTOS: Who’s who in the Chris Christie bridge scandal?)

The probes have yielded subpoenas for many people with ties to Christie — including his office itself and his campaign.

Donors to the campaign who have already maxed out their giving will not be allowed to contribute further, Brindle noted.

One of the members of the commission did not vote after having briefly represented Bridget Anne Kelly, a former top aide to Christie who lost her job after being implicated in “Bridgegate.”

The money raised may go only toward assisting with subpoenas, Brindle said, noting that the campaign will be reporting to the commission.

While the decision is unusual, he said, there is precedent for it going back to a 1993 incident concerning former New Jersey Gov. Christine Todd Whitman.

This article tagged under: New Jersey

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