Another Scandal-Tainted Addition to Team Trump

He hires the best people. Let’s keep repeating that mantra.

It looks like while Chris Christie was out fetching lunch, the Trump campaign was digging through his garbage.

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CNN is reporting on the latest addition to the Trump train.

Donald Trump’s campaign has hired a former top aide to New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie who was fired amid the Bridgegate scandal, a source with knowledge of the decision told CNN on Friday.

Bill Stepien, Christie’s former campaign manager and deputy chief of staff, is joining the Trump campaign as its national field director, adding a heavy dose of campaign experience — but also controversy — to Trump’s campaign.

Stepien was fired by Governor Christie in 2014, after the infamous “Bridgegate” scandal. Aides to the governor were found to be responsible for closing down lanes on the George Washington Bridge, in what was apparently designed to be a move for political retribution.

Before his dismissal, Stepien had been widely expected to run Christie’s 2016 presidential campaign.

He previously served as national director to John McCain’s 2008 presidential campaign and was New Hampshire political director to President George W. Bush’s 2004 reelection effort.

Before his dismissal.

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How much hay will be made of Stepien’s involvement in what has become a major blemish on New Jersey politics remains to be seen, but now that he’s part of Trump’s team, we can almost bet the Clinton campaign will zero in on it.

For his part, Christie was apparently not included in the decision to bring Stepien into the fold.

“I wish Bill the best of luck and I wish the campaign the best of luck,” said Christie, who added: “Mr. Trump’s campaign has confidence in him. They hired him.”

News of Stepien’s hiring comes one day after top Republican National Committee aides sat down with senior Trump staff in New York to discuss strategy, staff and resources in battleground states, sources familiar with the meeting told CNN.

So with Stepien added, shortly after Stephen Bannon, we can only speculate on who the next Trump team hire will be.

Is Whitey Bulger still in jail?

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