GOP State Party Chair Lost His Voice On Schroeder

An interesting note in Charles Stile's column, which starts off by focusing on the Republican infighting in Bergen County, but then makes a note about the connection between GOP State Party Chairman Sam Raia and recently arrested GOP State Assemblyman Bob Schroeder:

Sam Raia, the Saddle River mayor who doubles as the Republican State Committee chairman, has no interest in running to replace 39th District Assemblyman Robert Schroeder if the Washington Township Republican decides to resign, according to Douglas Mayer, spokesman for the state GOP.

Raia's name popped up in the speculation mill last week following Schroeder's arrest for allegedly writing almost $400,000 in bad checks to two investors. Schroeder is also facing, as Record staff writers Melissa Hayes and Christopher Harris reported last week, a "cascading series of complaints from investors and associates" accusing him of failing to repay debts.

Last Monday, Joseph D'Urso, a Washington Township councilman and a longtime friend, sued Schroeder, alleging a failure to repay more than $330,000 in loans, plus interest and fees.

Schroeder, however, is refusing to resign, and is facing no immediate pressure to do so.

And that last line is what caught my eye.  The Record only asked if Raia wanted to run, but shouldn't the party of Chris Christie, that supposedly fights corruption at every turn be doing more than they are? Yes, I ask that with extreme sarcasm. We already know that Christie isn't interested in this one other than to say it's "troubling", which i guess means no one else in the Republican party is allowed to care either. But there is also a financial impact:

Relying on his personal wealth, embattled Assemblyman Robert Schroeder has been a prolific contributor to Republican political campaigns across the state.

Since 2001, the latest records shows the Bergen County Republican has donated more than $428,000 to GOP campaigns, including $3,400 to Gov. Chris Christie's 2009 run and nearly $100,000 to the Bergen County Republican Party.

Come to think of it, maybe it's not surprising they're hoping this just all goes away.