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HURRICANE SANDY RELIEF.
WHEN HURRICANE SANDY HIT NEW
JERSEY, CHRIS CHRISTIE LED FROM
THE TRENCHES.
AND HIS SKILLFUL RESPONSE TO THE
DEVASTATING SUPERSTORM ROCKETED
HIM INTO POLITICAL SUPERSTARDOM.
BUT A NEW FEDERAL INVESTIGATION
INTO HOW THE NEW JERSEY GOVERNOR
SPENT SOME OF THE SANDY RELIEF
MONEY COULD THREATEN TO WASH
AWAY THE FOUNDATION OF HIS
POLITICAL BRAND.
CNN HAS LEARNED THAT FEDERAL
INVESTIGATORS WILL EXAMINE THE
STATE'S $25 MILLION TOURISM
MARKETING CAMPAIGN.
A CAMPAIGN THAT WAS PAID FOR
ABOUT SANDY RECOVERY MONEY.
>> THE JERSEY SHORE IS OPEN.
>> THE WORD IS SPREADING.
>> BECAUSE WE'RE STRONGER THAN
THE STORM.
>> YOU BET WE ARE.
>> A CAMPAIGN THAT FEATURED
CHRISTIE AND HIS FAMILY DURING
AN ELECTION YEAR.
>> INSTEAD OF WORKING
TOGETHER --
>> DEMOCRATIC CONGRESSMAN FRANK
PALLONE, A VOCAL CRITIC,
REQUESTED THE INVESTIGATION AND
FEDERAL OFFICIALS TELL CNN IT'S
NOW MOVING AHEAD.
BUT PALLONE SAYS THIS IS NOT
ABOUT POLITICS.
>> THIS WAS MONEY THAT COULD
HAVE DIRECTLY BEEN USED FOR
SAN
SANDY RECOVERY.
MANY OF MY CONSTITUENTS STILL
HAVEN'T GOTTEN THE MONEY THAT IS
OWED THEN, YOU KNOW, TO REBUILD
THEIR HOMES OR TO PUT THEIR, YOU
KNOW, TO RAISE THEIR HOMES OR TO
HELP.
>> PALLONE SAYS PROMOTING NEW
JERSEY TOURISM AFTER THE
SUPERSTORM WAS A GOOD IDEA BUT
HE HAS A BIG QUESTION ABOUT HOW
MUCH TAXPAYER MONEY WAS SPENT TO
MAKE THOSE ADS.
THE WINNING BID, A $4.7 MILLION
CAMPAIGN FEATURING CHRISTIE AND
FAMILY.
THE NEXT LOWER BID THAT LOST
OUT, WAS NEARLY HALF THE PRICE.
AT $2.5 MILLION.
AND WOULDN'T HAVE FEATURE UNITED
STATES THE GOVERNOR, ACCORDING
TO PALLONE.
THE ADS CAUSED CONTROVERSY AS
THEY HIT THE AIR WAVES WHILE
CHRISTIE WAS RUNNING FOR
RE-ELECTION.
CHRISTIE'S OPPONENTS SLAMMED
HIM, ARGUING IT GAVE HIM AN
UNFAIR ADVANTAGE.
SENATOR RAND PAUL ADDRESSED IT
AT A HEARING IN NOVEMBER.
>> YOU THINK THERE MIGHT BE A
CONFLICT OF INTEREST THERE, YOU
KNOW, THAT'S A REAL PROBLEM.
THAT'S WHY WHEN PEOPLE TRY TO DO
GOOD AND TRYING TO USE
TAXPAYER'S MONEY WISELY, THEY'RE
OFFENSE TO SEE OUR MONEY SPENT
ON POLITICAL ADS.
YOU KNOW, THAT'S JUST OFFENSIVE.
>> AT THE TIME, CHRISTIE AIDES
SAID THE WINNING AD PROVIDED
MORE VALUE.
TODAY, RELEASED A STATEMENT
SAYING FEDERAL AGENCY REVIEWS
ARE ROUTINE AND STANDARD
OPERATING PROCEDURE TO BE SURE
FUNDS ARE DISTRIBUTED FAIRLY.
WE'RE CONFIDENT ANY REVIEW WILL
SHOW THE ADS WERE A KEY PART IN
HELPING NEW JERSEY GET BACK ON
ITS FEET AFTER BEING STRUCK BY
THE WORST STORM IN STATE
HISTORY.
BUT AFT EITHER INITIAL REVIEW OF
THE SANDY RELIEF SPENDING THE
OFFICE OF THE INSPECTOR GENERAL
AT THE DEPARTMENT OF HOUSING AND
URBAN DEVELOPMENT HAS CONCLUDED
THAT THERE IS ENOUGH EVIDENCE TO
LARGE A FULL-SCALE
INVESTIGATION.
>> TAXPAYER DOLLARS THAT COULD
HAVE BEEN USED FOR SANDY RELIEF
WERE USED FOR ADS PROMOTING THE
GOVERNOR, BECAUSE HE WAS IN THEM
WITH HIS FAMILY, DURING AN
ELECTION CAMPAIGN.
>> CHRISTIE'S OFFICE QUESTIONS
THE TIMING OF THE INVESTIGATION.
INDEED IT COULDN'T COME AT A
WORST TIME FOR THE
SCANDAL-PLAGUED NEW JERSEY
REPUBLICAN.
CHRISTIE'S ALREADY FACING TWO
PROBES INTO WHETHER HIS STAFF
TIED UP TRAFFIC NEAR THE
COUNTRY'S BUSIEST BRIDGE TO
PUNISH A DEMOCRATIC MAYER WHO
REFUSED TO ENDORSE HIM.
BUT AS BAD AS THE GEORGE
WASHINGTON BRIDGE SCANDAL HAS
BEEN FOR CHRISTIE, IF THE
INVESTIGATION FINDS HE
IMPROPERLY SPENT SANDY FUNDS, IT
COULD GET FAR WORSE.
TARNISHING THE SIGNATURE
ACHIEVEMENT THAT HAS HELPED
PROPEL HIM TOWARD THE WHITE
HOUSE.
NOW, THE HUD INSPECTOR GENERAL'S