President Trump is considering former New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie as a possible pick to replace Jeff Sessions as attorney general, according to CNN.
Christie has been in the mix for a number of administration jobs since Trump was elected, and has said he’s declined several offers from the president.
Bill Palatucci, a longtime adviser to Christie, said Thursday that Christie “doesn’t seek the position but would consider if asked.”
He added that Christie doesn’t expect to be asked.
Palatucci said that Christie went to the White House on Thursday on a previously scheduled trip to discuss prison reform.
The Washington Post reported Wednesday that Christie has talked with Trump about the job.
Christie endorsed Trump in February 2016, shortly after the governor dropped out of the Republican presidential primary, and was tapped to lead the transition team when Trump won the GOP nomination.
Christie was fired from the post after Trump was elected, and was replaced by Vice President-elect Mike Pence.
Christie has described Trump as a longtime friend. He was U.S. attorney for the District of New Jersey from 2002 to 2008 under President George W. Bush and developed a reputation as a crusader against public corruption en route to the governor’s office.
He completed his second term as governor in January 2017.
As U.S. attorney, Christie oversaw the prosecution of real estate executive Charles Kushner — father of Trump’s son-in-law and senior adviser, Jared Kushner — who pleaded guilty to charges of tax evasion, campaign finance violations, and witness tampering.
Jared Kushner has reportedly buried the hatchet over the matter. A Trump administration official told CNN that Kushner and Christie have a good relationship and have been working on prison reform for months.
Christie has defended special counsel Robert Mueller amid Trump’s attacks on the Russia investigation.
In May, speaking at the University of Chicago, Christie said he had told Trump “many times that there’s no way to make an investigation like this shorter, but there’s lot of ways to make it longer, and he’s executed on a number of those ways to make it longer.”
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