“By the time Chris Christie became governor of New Jersey, the state’s auditors and lawyers had been battling for several years to collect long-overdue taxes owed by the casinos founded by his friend Donald J. Trump.
The total, with interest, had grown to almost $30 million. The state had doggedly pursued the matter through two of the casinos’ bankruptcy cases and even accused the company led by Mr. Trump of filing false reports with state casino regulators about the amount of taxes it had paid.
But the year after Governor Christie, a Republican, took office, the tone of the litigation shifted. The state entertained settlement offers. And in December 2011, after six years in court, the state agreed to accept just $5 million, roughly 17 cents on the dollar of what auditors said the casinos owed.”
— “Trump Casinos’ Tax Debt Was $30 Million. Then Christie Took Office.” Russ Buettner, New York Times
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NotionsCapital 
The Press Weighs in on Chris Christie
October 1, 2011There’s a big, fat political story in America: New Jersey Governor Chris Christie’s weight. Mr. Christie cuts an impressive figure compared to the lightweights competing for the 2012 Republican presential nomination; despite his protestations, he’s being touted as a contender with heft.
Chris Christie’s career in elective office stretches all the way back to January 19, 2010, a tenure nearly as long as that of former Alaska Temp-Governor Sarah Palin. Mr. Christie wants to put his state’s government on a diet by starving the poor and middle class, he is a former registered lobbyist for big corporations, and his legal background is littered with skeletons and controversy. Despite all this factual fodder, it is the governor’s personal avoirdupois that has media pundits salivating.
The feeding frenzy has only started, but here’s the first course:
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Tags:campaign, Chris Christie, Christie, commentary, fat, GOP, government, health, Jersey, journalism, New Jersey, nomination, obesity, Overweight, politics, presidential politics, republican primary, Republicans
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