Chris Christie, the former governor of New Jersey, has accused Jared Kushner of orchestrating his dismissal as head of Donald Trump's White House transition team in 2016 as an act of revenge. In his forthcoming book, Let Me Finish, Christie claims Kushner, Trump's son-in-law, was still seething over Christie's prosecution of his father, Charles Kushner, a decade earlier.
Christie writes that Steve Bannon, Trump's campaign chief, confirmed Kushner's role in the firing during a meeting at Trump Tower. According to Christie, Bannon said: 'The kid’s been taking an ax to your head with the boss ever since I got here.' Christie threatened to blame Bannon publicly unless he revealed the true instigator.
The book recounts how Kushner had opposed Christie's appointment as transition chairman in April 2016, while Christie was present. Kushner allegedly claimed Christie had acted unethically in prosecuting his father, but provided no evidence. Christie describes Kushner's remarks as 'raw feelings that had been simmering for a dozen years.'
Christie, as a federal attorney in 2005, had prosecuted Charles Kushner for witness tampering and tax evasion. The case involved a bizarre plot where Charles hired a sex worker to seduce his brother-in-law, filmed the encounter, and sent the tape to his sister. He served 14 months in federal prison.
Christie argues that his removal led to a flawed transition process under Vice President-elect Mike Pence, resulting in poor personnel choices. The book, obtained by the Guardian before its 29 January release, offers a detailed account of internal White House dynamics and score-settling.
