Gov. Chris Christie (R-NJ) has fired his state Education Commissioner Bret Schundler, as a result of errors and misrepresentations from Schundler in a matter costing the state $400 million in federal “Race to the Top” money. At the same time, the firing has been arranged at Schundler’s request in such a manner so that Schundler — a former leading figure of the state GOP’s right wing — will be able to collect unemployment benefits.
The key detail is that Schundler preferred to be fired, rather than submit his resignation. “I asked if they would mind writing a termination letter, instead of a resignation letter, because I do have a mortgage to pay, and I do have a daughter who’s just started college,” Schundler said, the Star-Ledger reports. “And I, frankly, will need the unemployment insurance benefits until I find another job. … And they said fine. They said sure.”
On Wednesday, Christie held a press conference in which he strongly blamed the Obama administration for the loss of federal funding, saying that Schundler had tried to fix an error in the state’s application during his presentation to federal education officials, but they would not let him. Then on Thursday, the federal Education Department released a video of the presentation itself, showing the officials pointing out the error to Schundler, who was unable to correct it.
“I was extremely disappointed to learn that the videotape of the Race to the Top presentation was not consistent with the information provided to me by the New Jersey Department of Education and which I then conveyed to the people of New Jersey,” Christie said in a statement. “As a result, I ordered an end to Bret Schundler’s service as New Jersey’s Education Commissioner and as a member of my administration.”
Schundler was elected mayor of heavily Democratic Jersey City in 1992 in a special election, helped by corruption scandals and a heavily split Democratic vote that enabled him to win with only 17%. He later won a full term in 1993 with 69% of the vote, and was re-elected again in 1997. In 2001 he became the Republican nominee for governor, upsetting the state GOP’s moderate establishment, and lost the general election to Democrat Jim McGreevey by 56%-42%. He ran again for governor in 2005, but lost the Republican primary. When Republicans won the governor’s mansion with Chris Christie in 2009, Schundler appeared to have made his comeback as Education Commissioner.
Late Update: As Robert Costa over at National Review points out, the late William F. Buckley once touted Schundler as a future presidential candidate. It’s interesting to point out that Buckley praised Schundler as a small government conservative who was taking on the teacher’s unions and the welfare state:
What is especially refreshing about Schundler is his confidence in his own approach. Those who are battle-weary over decades of arguments about vouchers and taxes and welfare overloads are arrested by the directness of his approach. But how to discourage somebody elected and then reelected by majorities hardly seen since the Bolsheviks stopped re-electing themselves all but unanimously? Schundler reminds seasoned observers of the usefulness of pretty basic observations, such as that parents want the best for their children. Look for him in 2008.
Late Late Update: The Christie administration has denied making any such deal with Schundler, saying that he was fired when he refused to resign.
More importantly, Schundler is denying that he ever misled the administration about the problems in the presentation, and showed e-mails to that effect to the Associated Press. The Christie administration is also denying these accusations, saying that all of Christie’s statements were based on Schundler’s account.
This story could get interesting…