Christie Campaign Cash Machine Rolls On

Embattled New Jersey governor Chris Christie is raking in big bucks at fundraisers across the country, despite new pressure to curtail his role as chairman of the Republican Governors Association as he struggles to contain the George Washington Bridge scandal. In the middle of January, Christie pulled off a string of five successful fundraisers for Florida Governor Rick Scott. The big money fly-ins will continue over the coming months, when Christie is expected to travel to Illinois, Texas, Massachusetts, Georgia, Connecticut and Utah to glad-hand GOP donors. But with a federal criminal investigation and state legislative panels probing the traffic backup, Bridgegate remains a distraction. On Christie’s recent Florida swing, Scott, who faces a tough re-election bid, made no public appearances with his New Jersey benefactor, a snub for the onetime star of the GOP campaign trail.