Former Police Commissioner Ray Kelly was among prominent figures attending Gov. Chris Christie’s first out-of-state political foray since Bridgegate erupted.
Kelly joined along with former General Electric CEO Jack Welch and several business leaders and Republican fund-raising officials, appeared Sunday at a private meet-and-greet at the Palm Beach, Fla., home of Home Depot founder Ken Langone.
Christie was warmly received by the 200 who attended, Politico reported.
He was asked one Bridgegate question: When will it be over?
“He said, ‘I don’t know,’ ” Langone said. “ ‘But as far as I’m concerned,I did what I can do, with great apologies and embarrassment.I did the one thing I had to do. I fired them. What else can I do?’ ”
Another person who attended the event said that Christie gave “zero hint” that he would fire anyone else in his staff over the scandal.
He already has axed his deputy chief of staff, Bridget Anne Kelly.
“He just said how sad and disappointed he was,” the person told Politico. “It was like a family member turning on him. He said it was just really painful.”
Also, Christie wouldn’t be baited on his possible run for the Republican nomination in 2016.
“He didn’t get sucked in on that,” one donor told Politico. “He said, ‘I’m the governor of New Jersey. I’ve got a job to do and I’m going to do it.’ ”Lewis claimed Christie told him a state-sponsored fitness program he was involved in would be nixed if he ran. Lewis tried to run anyway, but was barred by a court because he did not meet New Jersey residency requirements.
But others at the event thought the prospective candidate was deflated.
“The guy they met this weekend is the shell of his former self,”one donor told NBC news.
“If that’s the guy that’s going to be nationally, his 2016 hopes are done.”