Report: Pallone wants federal probe of post-Sandy tourism campaign

The fallout continues from a recent Asbury Park Press report on how the state’s “Stronger than the Storm” post-Sandy tourism campaign came to be, as would-be Senate candidate U.S. Rep. Frank Pallone is calling for a federal examination of how $4.7 million in contracts were awarded.

Pallone now joins Democrat Barbara Buono, Christie’s challenger in the upcoming gubernatorial race, in crying foul on the ads, which feature Christie and his family and were paid for by Sandy disaster recovery relief money. 

In this morning’s Press report, Christie’s office noted how closely Pallone and the governor have worked together on Sandy relief, which directly benefits storm-damaged towns like the congressman’s home city of Long Branch, (where the Democratic mayor has already endorsed the governor’s re-election and where Booker spent part of Fourth of July) and chalked it up to politics. His spokesman called it “political opportunism and grandstanding from a candidate for U.S. Senate down desperately low in the polls five days away from the primary.”

Ouch.

Pallone’s move seems unlikely to change Booker’s position in the primary field, and I haven’t seen him weigh in publicly yet on the #STTS campaign contracts, but it seems likely someone will ask him before too long. Stay tuned.