Chris Christie, who was ousted as head of Donald Trump’s White House transition team in 2016, is accusing Jared Kushner of carrying out a political “hit job” on him, The Guardian is reporting.
The claim comes in Christie’s soon to be published book, “Let Me Finish,” according to the newspaper. The Guardian said it obtained a copy of the book, which is due for publication on Jan. 29.
Christie reportedly says in the book that Kushner, Trump’s son-in-law who serves as a White House adviser, targeted him for prosecuting his father, Charles Kushner, years ago.
According to The Guardian, Kushner’s revenge plot was confirmed to him by Steve Bannon, who had worked as a White House adviser.
The Guardian quoted Bannon in the book as telling Christie: “The kid’s been taking an ax to your head with the boss ever since I got here.”
The newspaper noted Christie was the prosecutor in the 2005 case involving Charles Kushner, who was charged with witness tampering and tax evasion. Charles Kushner eventually served more than a year in federal prison, The Guardian added.
Christie, the former New Jersey governor, wrote about the first time Jared Kushner badmouthed him to Trump. All three men were together at the time.
“He implied I had acted unethically and inappropriately but didn’t state one fact to back that up,” Christie writes. “Just a lot of feelings – very raw feelings that had been simmering for a dozen years.”