Exclusive: Guadagno welcomes release of investigation documents

Lt. Governor Kim Guadagno photo via NJ.gov

In an exclusive interview with MoreMonmouthMusings, Lt. Governor Kim Guadagno said that she is pleased that the Appellate Division of the New Jersey Superior Court has ruled that documents associated with the investigation into her hiring of a retired detective when she was the Monmouth County Sheriff will be released within 45 days.

“The New Jersey Division of Criminal Justice (DCJ) and the Police and Firemen’s  Retirement System (PFRS) have investigated my actions while Monmouth County Sheriff, regarding the hiring and compensation of an employee and found nothing.  When the internal investigative documents that the blogger has sued for are released, they will show – again-  that I acted appropriately and in the best interests of Monmouth County taxpayers,” Guadagno said.

Appellate Judges George S. Leone and Carol E. Higbee ruled on Thursday that two documents , a three page letter date June 6, 2011 from PFRS to the Attorney General requesting an investigation and one page letter dated June 21, 2012 from the Division of Criminal Justice(DCJ) to PFRS on the status of the investigation, shall be released.   Leone and Higbee’s ruling overturned a ruling by Superior Court Judge Mary C. Jacobson that the State had the right to withhold the documents from Mark Lagerkvist, a blogger who has used his allegations against Guadagno to kick start his career.

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Guadagno Watch

Governor Chris Christie’s choice of running mate for his 2013 reelection campaign will have little to do with Lt. Governor Kim Guadagno’s performance during the first Christie term.  By all accounts Guadagno has done her job well.  She’s been a good soldier, loyal and obedient surrogate and fine ambassador to the business community.

The hint of scandal that NJ Watchdog has been pushing about Guadagno during her days as Monmouth County Sheriff will have little impact on her status on the ticket.   Just like U.S. Senator Robert Menendez’s prostitution scandal,  nobody in the media cares about the story Mark Lagerkvitz has been pushing for over two years about Gaudagno arranging for Mickey Donovan being able to collect a police pension while acting as her law enforcement chief in Monmouth.   If Trenton Democrats were going to make an issue of Guadagno’s role in Donovan’s double dipping, there probably would already have been hearings in the Senate or Assembly into the matter already.

The imminent decision about Kim Guadagno’s future is all about 2016 and 2017 politics.  It has little to do with the 2013 gubernatorial election.

There has been quiet speculation that Guadagno would not be the second term LG for months.  A story was floated over the summer that she would become New Jersey’s U.S. Attorney if Mitt Romney was elected president.

If Christie runs for the 2016 GOP presidential nomination he will become a part time governor sometime in 2015.  If he becomes the front runner for the nomination he could resign early 2016.  Whether he resigns or not, New Jersey would need an acting governor who is really in charge.  As often as Guadagno has been acting governor over the past three years, no one believes she was really in charge.   If Christie runs for president in 2016, his lt. governor will be running for governor in 2017 as an incumbent, effectively.

Christie probably hasn’t made a decision about 2016.  Yet, he undoubtably wants to keep his options open and to leave New Jersey is strong hands should he decide to run.

If Guadagno is the LG candidate in 2013, that would be a signal that Christie believes that she is ready to be governor and ready to lead the NJ Republican Party.

Bergen Record columnist Charles Stile posted a column yesterday speculating about possible Guadango replacements.  Stile named Bergen County Executive Kathleen Donovan and six state senators as possible future acting governors;   Joe Kyrillos,  Tom Kean, JR, Jennifer Beck, Diane Allen, Dawn Marie Addiego and Kevin O’Toole.

Christie chose Guadagno over Donovan, Allen and Beck in 2009.  He’s not likely to choose any of them as his running mate in 2013.   Choosing Kyrillos would create a context for Joe’s lackluster campaign against Menendez for U.S. Senate this year.  Other than Kean, son of the former governor and the 2006 U.S. Senate nominee, none of the other mentions significant statewide name recognition.  Kryillos just spent a year and $5 million building statewide name recognition.

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Guadagno’s status as Christie’s running mate not yet determined

Lt Governor Kim Guadagno. Photo credit: Tim Larsen/Governor's office

Governor Chris Christie said that he has yet to talk to Lt. Governor Kim Guadagno regarding her joining his ticket for reelection.
During a press conference this morning, Christie said that he was extraordinary pleased with Guadagno’s performance as New Jersey’s  first Lt. Governor.

Christie announced that he will run for reelection on Monday in Port Monmouth. Today he said that he and Guadagno had not talked about her candidacy yet because they have been busy working on the recovery from Superstorm Sandy.

Guadagno, who also serves as Secretary of State, has served as the Christie Administration’s ambassador to the business community and heads up the Red Tape Review Commission.

While Guadagno has gotten high marks for her service as Lt. Governor, she has been dogged by allegations and litigation brought by NJ Watchdog that while Monmouth County Sheriff she inappropriately classified Michael Donovan’s position with the sheriff’s office as “chief warrant officer” when he actually held the position of “chief of the law enforcement division” so that Donovan could collect a $85,000 per year pension while also collecting his current salary.  Had Donovan’s position been properly classified, according to NJ Watchdog, he would not have been entitled to collect the pension.  Rather, he would be contributing $18,000 per year to the pension fund.

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