WASHINGTON — Chris Christie is on a list of candidates being considered to replace Jeff Sessions as U.S. attorney general, according to CBS News.

Citing two sources "familiar with the matter," Christie is on a list that includes former New York Mayor Rudy Giuliani, Florida Attorney General Pam Bondi and William Barr, who served in the role under President George H. W. Bush.

Christie now is a contributor to ABC News and has a law office in Morristown.

Sessions resigned as attorney general on Wednesday at President Donald Trump's request. Sessions' Chief of Staff Matthew Whittaker, was named acting attorney general.

 

The former governor, an early supporter of Donald Trump's presidential run after ending his own in 2016, ran Trump's transition team before being replaced by Vice President Mike Pence after the election.

Rumors he would be named to a cabinet position with the Trump administration never materialized. An unnamed advisor to Trump told Vanity Fair in February the president regretted not naming Christie as attorney general.

Trump has publicly sparred with Sessions because the former Alabama senator recused himself from the special counsel probe into the Trump campaign and administration.

Christie said he was reluctant to move wife and two school-age children to Washington but would consider if it were to be attorney general.

In August, Christie was asked by Harry Hurley on WPG Talk Radio 104.1 FM whether he'd consider the AG job.

“You’d have to consult Mary Pat Christie on that one," he said. "She’s kind of enjoying civilian life over the last seven months and I don’t know if it’s time for me to go back to public life. I’m enjoying private life right now and so are my wife and children. [...] I don’t know that would ever happen. If it did it would take a lot of conversation between me and the president but also between Mary Pat.”

Christie added that at 55, he's "certainly young enough to do some kind of public service again in my life and I wouldn’t rule it out."

Former presidential advisor Steven Bannon has said Christie was dropped from consideration because he did not support Trump immediately after the "Access Hollywood" tape was released during the campaign. Christie has denied this.

Before he was elected governor in 2011, Christie was U.S. attorney for the district of New Jersey.

Christie also has a book scheduled for publication in January titled "Let Me Finish." Its release could be affected by an appointment to the office. The White House could ask for an advance copy as part of its vetting process.

Material from the Associated Press was used in this report. 

Contact reporter Dan Alexander at Dan.Alexander@townsquaremedia.com or via Twitter @DanAlexanderNJ

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