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Gov. Chris Christie arrives with his family for Super Bowl XLVIII at MetLife Stadium.

(Andrew Mills/The Star-Ledger)



NEWARK — A year after being denied a speaking spot at one of the largest annual gatherings of conservatives, Gov. Chris Christie will speak at the Conservative Political Action Conference next month, according to a report on Yahoo News.

The gathering is a prime opportunity for Republican presidential hopefuls to pitch their credentials to the party. With Christie mired in scandal over lane closures at the George Washington Bridge, as well as allegations he withheld Sandy recovery money to pressure a local mayor into approving a redevelopment project, the decision to invite Christie is a sign of support in his party.

“We are very excited to announce that New Jersey Governor Chris Christie will speak at CPAC 2014," American Conservative Union Chairman Al Cardenas told Yahoo News. "This will be the year that conservatives begin pulling the nation back from the brink of Barack Obama's disaster with a movement that inspires, unites, and discovers new solutions to our current challenges.”

Last year Christie was reportedly snubbed for not "having an all-star year." Among his sins were trashing Republican members of Congress who were holding up Sandy recovery aid and embracing President Obama in the wake of the storm.

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