Asbury Park Press - Buono: Christie Should Pay Back Money for MWW Ad Campaign

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Gov. Chris Christie's Democratic opponent wants him to repay $2 million in Sandy recovery money used in part on the "Stronger Than The Storm'' TV commercials starring Christie and his family.

Democrat Barbara Buono said Christie "did his job in the immediate aftermath of Sandy" but she went on to lob her harshest criticism yet of Christie's post-Sandy leadership during a press conference Wednesday.

Buono said an Asbury Park Press investigation into how the Christie administration picked a high bidder for a taxpayer-funded tourism ad campaign showed that Christie was out "to secure a starring role in what is the equivalent of a campaign ad," adding that "the governor's priorities have become painstakingly apparent."

The investigation found that the contract award bypassed $2 million in savings offered by a competing bidder that didn't plan to include Christie in the commercials now airing primarily in the New York, Philadelphia, Washington and Baltimore TV markets.

Buono said Christie's campaign fund should pay $2 million to make up the difference, money that she said the state could allocate to storm victims, but Christie spokesman Michael Drewniak said Buono -- a state senator from Middlesex County facing the Republican governor in the Nov. 5 election -- "has her facts all wrong and is willfully abusing the truth."

"The cost differential between the qualified bidders was due to MWW's much more aggressive, labor-intensive work in producing and supporting a large number of localized events, coordination with businesses, municipalities, and local and regional tourism organizations," Drewniak said. "The MWW campaign offered a wider platform of events and media strategies, was a far better value overall, and let people know that the Jersey Shore was ready and open for business this summer."

The contract award shows Christie is more interested in his national profile than in running New Jersey, Buono charged.

"The shameless self-promotion is embarrassing. He's paving his road to the White House," she said.

Buono made the remarks from the front yard of a storm-wrecked home belonging to John Lambert and Lee Ann Newland, both music teachers, in the township's Shark River Hills section. Lambert and Newland have lived in an Ocean Grove apartment since the storm.

The couple said they'll have to sell the house because they've been unable to gain either an insurance settlement or state-administered grant that would allow them to rebuild or restore the structure.

Buono said she chose this backdrop because "it is a slap in the face for Chris Christie to spend an extra $2 million of victims' money to get on TV to brag about the recovery when there are people who cannot get into their homes and will not be given the funds that they need to rebuild.''

The Press' review of the bid documents and contract showed that MWW and a subsidiary are getting $4.7 million in employee compensation and markups to run the campaign. Runner-up bidder Sigma Group included only $2.5 in compensation in markups.

The advertisements, accompanied by a ubiquitous jingle, have been slammed by Christie critics from the start as free campaign publicity in a gubernatorial election year.

MWW also bragged in press releases and documents that it had recently hired two longtime Republican operatives to aid the firm. The moves would help MWW "to deepen our team on both sides of the aisle," said MWW President Michael Kempner.

Kempner is a longtime major contributor to Democratic candidates.

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