What Happened, Mr. Christie?- You Had So Much Promise

As I write this I note that it’s been 4 days since the sentence has been handed down for our former mayor, Mr. John Merla, 4 days that has allowed for, to quote Andrew Jackson, "the application of a calmer light and a milder philosophy" to this episode. Considerations have prompted the raising of certain questions that need to be addressed by the U.S. Attorney, Mr. Christopher Christie.

On the sentence given to Mr. Merla - 22 months in jail, a $20,000 fine and 3 years of supervised release upon completion of his prison sentence:

A)The jail sentence is approximately 1-½ months less than the time period that elapsed from the day of arrest and the final day of his term as mayor expired – throughout which Mr. Merla refused to cooperate and refused to resign as Mayor of Keyport.

B) The fine is $4,000 less than the total amount of bribes he admitted to taking.

U.S. Attorney Christie said in a statement after the sentences were handed down “We think the sentences are appropriate. The judge carefully balanced the need to punish public officials who took bribes with the need to recognize, as a mitigating factor, their particular levels of cooperation".

The U.S. Attorney should be ashamed of himself if he thinks is true.

He allowed the hard work and sacrifice of so many people – FBI agents, lawyers, residents and honest public officials – to be minimized by reducing the original 8 counts that were brought against Mr. Merla – all to which he admitted guilt to - to a single count and to somehow mask Mr. Merla’s stubborn refusal to cooperate in any meaningful fashion during anytime other than that of his (Mr. Merla’s) own choosing and even then, apparently giving up supposedly only confirmations of existing knowledge held by the U.S. Attorney’s office.

We need some answers from the U.S. Attorney as to why there was a reduction in the counts (and therefore the subsequent removal of the expanded available jail time and fines for the judge’s option to impose) from 8 to a mere 1.

Could the U.S. Attorney not prove the other 7 counts in a trial? Or was the cooperation by the former mayor actually much more than mere confirmation of existing knowledge and perhaps a bit more has been revealed by his former honor that will lead to the future indictments of others?

It would appear on the face of it, that all involved have been given short shift by the U.S. Attorney’s office in both the initial raised expectations from this office and the less than spectatcular explanations surrounding this entire event – from the initial arrest to the recent outcome – to satisfy the outstanding questions that remain.

Mr. Christie needs to clear up these questions so that we can all finally put this entire matter behind us.