Christie's Demotion by Trump Is Rich in Irony

New Jersey Star-Ledger writer Tom Moran is no fan of Chris Christie, but in a new column he sounds almost sympathetic about what's happening to the governor in Trump-land. Actually, he's not sympathizing so much as reveling in the rich "irony" of it all: Christie is suddenly on the outs, and it's all because of Trump son-in-law Jared Kushner, who seems poised to play an important White House role. "Jared hates Christie for reasons that anyone could understand," writes Moran: In 2005, then-US Attorney Christie put Jared's dad, Charlie Kushner, in federal prison. And the reason for the irony? "Christie deserves to be crucified for 100 different reasons—and putting Charlie Kushner in prison is not among them."

Christie got this one right, writes Moran. The feds were investigating the elder Kushner's taxes and political donations, and his own sister and brother-in-law agreed to help the investigation. To get revenge, Kushner paid a prostitute to lure his brother-in-law to a motel room, taped the encounter, and sent it to the couple. He pleaded guilty to interfering with a witness, along with a slew of financial charges. In court, Kushner himself called his own actions "disgraceful." His son, however, a young lawyer at the time, felt his dad was treated unjustly, and he seems to have finally exacted his revenge. "This is rich stuff," writes Moran. "It's not just that Christie is getting thumped; it's how he is getting thumped." Click for the full column. (More Chris Christie stories.)