tr0119Christie

Democratic National Committee Chair Debbie Wasserman-Schultz holds a news conference at Guernsey Park in Orlando to criticize Gov. Chris Christie's handling of the George Washington Bridge/Fort Lee lane closure scandal, as well as his fundraising trip to Florida for Gov. Rick Scott.

(Mike Roy/The Star-Ledger)

ORLANDO, Fla. — It was supposed to be Gov. Chris Christie's comeback tour:

A weekend trip to Florida, where he would show the world he could still drum up top-dollar checks for Republican candidates across the country even as his administration faces a swirl of scandals, subpoenas and allegations of abuse of power.

But instead of highlighting his fundraising chops, Christie, in his new role as the chairman of the Republican Governors Association, spent the day besieged by new claims of political retribution — and shuttling quietly around the Sunshine State as far as possible from the public eye.

There were stops at a Tuscan-style country club in Orlando (he took a back entrance) and a seaside mansion in Palm Beach owned by one of the richest businessmen in the state (the RGA refused to give a time or address.)

Florida Gov. Rick Scott, a fellow Republican, declined to hold any public events with New Jersey’s celebrity governor, a rarity in the middle of a re-election campaign.

"If this continues, he clearly can’t perform the functions of the chair, which is to go in and put the spotlight on GOP gubernatorial candidates on the ballot in November," said Larry Sabato, a political science professor at the University of Virginia. "If he’s going to go into a state to help … but then he becomes the issue and generates negative headlines, then he can’t serve as RGA chair, it’s obvious."

The governor had a former ally, Hoboken Mayor Dawn Zimmer, to thank for the latest fusillade of criticism. In a 40-minute interview broadcast nationwide on MSNBC, Zimmer charged that top administration officials threatened to choke her city’s disaster-relief funding after Hurricane Sandy unless she approved a development project Christie wanted on the waterfront.

A spokesman for the governor, Colin Reed, returned fire later in the day. "It’s very clear partisan politics are at play here as Democratic mayors with a political ax to grind come out of the woodwork and try to get their faces on television," he said.

An RGA spokesman, Jon Thompson, said Christie would press on with his Florida itinerary today. "All the fundraising events are still on," he said.

In Orlando, Scott’s campaign received a $2.5 million donation from the Christie-led RGA yesterday, he said. The press was turned away by city police officers at the main entryway as donors filtered in driving Cadillacs, BMWs, Lexuses and a Rolls-Royce. Christie’s black SUVs arrived through a back entrance.

In his absence, the chairwoman of the Democratic National Committee, Rep. Debbie Wasserman Schultz (D-Fla.), was happy to address the crowds of reporters camped outside Christie’s events.

CHRISTIE BLASTED

In an interview with The Star-Ledger, Wasserman Schultz blasted Christie and the administration officials, claiming they "threatened" Zimmer.

"It’s just another example of the pattern of bullying and intimidation and retribution that takes place if you don’t do what Chris Christie wants," she said. "My understanding was that 80 percent of Hoboken was underwater, that they desperately needed those recovery funds."

Criticism also came from anxious Republicans even before Christie landed in Florida.

"The guy, as a person, is horrific," Brian Ballard, a Republican lobbyist in Tallahassee and a top fundraiser for Mitt Romney in last year’s presidential race, told the Miami Herald.

"Christie probably didn’t know his staff was shutting down the George Washington Bridge for political paybacks or whatever. But the fact is, he had people around him who thought it was okay. And that speaks to his character," Ballard told the newspaper.

Sabato said Zimmer’s allegations are still unproven, but that "based on what we now know about Christie’s governorship and the people in it, the problem for Christie is this is, at least on the surface, believable."

If the explosive headlines continue, he said, "this could develop in a way that makes Christie an albatross around the necks of GOP candidates for governor rather than someone who contributes to their elections."

Patrick Murray, a political science professor at Monmouth University, said if Zimmer’s allegations crumble, Republicans are likely to rally around the New Jersey governor and give him renewed support.

"It's still 'he said, she said,'" Murray said. "As long as he is seen as a viable fundraiser, he’ll be okay. In fact, the canary in the coal mine in all this is if candidates start canceling their fundraising appearances. There’s no question he is still the top draw in the Republican Party in the country."

Today, Christie will get to gauge firsthand how the GOP donor class is responding to the drama in the Garden State.

He will be in the Palm Beach home of one of his major boosters, Home Depot co-founder Kenneth Langone. About 150 guests have been invited, he said, and curiosity about the bridge scandal is high. "I’ve got to believe one of the questions is: ‘Were you involved in this? Did you know anything about it?’" Langone told USA Today.

State Sen. Raymond Lesniak (D-Union), a fundraiser for the Democrats, said Christie’s Florida trip was all about "the old saying, ‘Don’t let them see you sweat.'"

But, he added: "I don’t think you can spin your way or PR your way out of this. … Every moment, he’s going to be confronted with another difficult situation. So the show is really, in my opinion, of no value other than to give him a reprieve."

RELATED COVERAGE

• Hoboken Mayor Dawn Zimmer alleges Chris Christie's office withheld Sandy aid over development deal

• Bridge scandal subpoenas hit Chris Christie's inner circle

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