WASHINGTON – Former Republican presidential nominee Mitt Romney will fundraise alongside New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie on Thursday in Boston.
The joint appearance is a signal by Romney to the Republican establishment that he remains an ally of the embattled Garden State governor, whose administration has become engulfed by a bridge-closing scandal.
Aides to both Romney and Christie confirmed the appearance on Saturday as Christie huddled with fellow state leaders at the National Governors Association's annual meeting in Washington, held at the JW Marriott hotel.
Thursday's event will be focused on raising money for the Republican Governors Association, which is chaired this year by Christie. Romney will make remarks at a dinner and then meet with Christie and donors.
In an interview with the Washington Post in January, Romney, a former RGA chairman, said Christie's chairmanship is an important post for any politician looking to make a mark on the national stage. "It's part of what Karl Rove used to call the invisible primary," Romney said. "It's a chance to be seen and travel the country."
On Saturday, Christie kept a low profile at the NGA forum, spending much of the morning sitting quietly near the podium, with his black-rimmed glasses hanging on his nose, taking notes as other governors spoke.
Christie and his wife, Mary Pat, traveled to Washington on Friday and attended several RGA events in Washington on Friday afternoon. They will not, however, visit the White House with other governors Sunday. Christie also did not meet with reporters, and he declined to take questions about last year's lane closures on the George Washington Bridge, an apparent act of political retribution against the Democratic mayor of Fort Lee, N.J.
Washington Post
