Christie Readies Presidential Campaign

The man who claims to have single-handedly saved the U.S. orthopedics industry is taking steps to be our next president.

Reuters reported on January 26, 2015 that New Jersey Governor Chris Christie has formed a political-action committee (PAC) called “Leadership Matters for America.” The Wall Street Journal said the formation of the PAC is the “clearest sign yet” that Christie is running for the White House.

Governor Christie needs no introduction to orthopedic device makers and surgeons. When he was the U.S. Attorney in New Jersey in 2007, he hauled in all the major device companies and told them he had evidence that they had offered illegal incentives to surgeons to use their devices. In exchange for a few hundred million in fines and temporary oversight, he offered the companies deferred prosecution agreements (DPAs). One of the “overseers, ” Christie’s previous boss, former U.S. Attorney General John Ashcroft, was reportedly paid over $50 million for 18 months of work to straighten out one device company’s surgeon/company consulting and patent agreements.

Saved Ortho From Medicare “Death Penalty”

After Christie left the U.S. Attorney office, he testified in front of a congressional committee about the agreements. He told lawmakers that had he not entered into DPAs with the companies, the overwhelming evidence of wrong-doing would have resulted in the Medicare “Death Penalty” for the companies, effectively destroying the U.S. orthopedic medical device industry.

Christie is not yet an officially declared candidate. But he has spent a lot of time in Iowa and New Hampshire and has been attending Republican activist meetings to make his pitch about what Republicans need to do to win back the White House. Seen as a “moderate” by many in the Republican Party, he may have a hard time winning over the conservative delegates and primary activists who turn out heavily in early primaries. He also has some problems at home in New Jersey, where a poll released last week said that nearly three in five registered New Jersey voters don’t think he’d make a good president. He got into hot water after it was revealed that his underlings ordered the closure of the George Washington Bridge in 2013 for alleged political reasons.

Forming this PAC shortly after former Florida Governor Jeb Bush’s December PAC formation, lets Christie begin to hire staff, build a campaign operation and travel around the country building support among Republican activists. He’s not expected to make any announcements until next spring.

Staff Hired

According to an AP report, the PAC has already hired fundraisers and consultants with Republican primary election campaign experience, including Ray Washburne, the former finance chair of the Republican National Committee. Other senior advisers include Phil Cox, who was executive director of the Republican Governors Association (RGA) while Christie was chair in 2014 and Christie’s long-time political adviser, Mike DuHaime. Cam Henderson, who worked on the state’s Superstorm Sandy rebuilding effort, will serve as finance director, while James Garcia, Mitt Romney’s national field director in 2012, will be political director. Paige Hahn, the RGA’s outgoing finance director, will play a role on the finance team.

Another former Christie aide, Matt Mowers, is reportedly resigning as executive director of the New Hampshire Republican Party at the end of the month, to work in that early-voting state, while Phil Valenziano, who served as political director for Iowa Governor Terry Branstad’s re-election campaign, will help lead Christie’s Iowa staff.

The Governor might be good for orthopedic device makers. After all, as we learned from the old Kung Fu television series, there is an old Chinese proverb that says if you save someone’s life, you are responsible for that person’s welfare.