Chris Christie says Trump’s ‘not totally clear’ until Mueller ‘hands in the keys’

Former New Jersey Governor Chris Christie says President Donald Trump is not ‘totally clear’ until Special Counsel Robert Mueller ‘shuts down his office and hands in the keys.’

Christie said that Trump remains in legal jeopardy, though to what extent depends on what evidence Mueller and federal prosecutors in the Southern District of New York have.

‘My view would be that you’re not totally clear, nor is anyone, until Bob Mueller shuts down his office and hands in the keys,’ the former presidential candidate told ABC News.

While Trump still has reason to worry about Mueller’s probe, which is looking into alleged Russian meddling in the 2016 elections, Christie says that the Michael Cohen ‘situation’ was ‘much more perilous for the White House than was Bob Mueller.’

Cohen, Trump’s former lawyer and fixer, has given sworn statements to federal prosecutors implicating Trump in felony campaign finance violations.

Federal prosecutors in Manhattan on Friday asked a judge to sentence Cohen to a ‘substantial term of imprisonment’ for paying Stormy Daniels, an adult film star, $130,000 in hush money on Trump’s behalf and evading taxes.

Cohen, who has been cooperating with Mueller’s probe into possible collusion between Russia and Trump’s 2016 election campaign, pleaded guilty to the charges in August.

Cohen pleaded guilty last week to a separate charge by Mueller’s office that he lied to Congress about discussions over the construction of a proposed Trump Organization skyscraper in Moscow.

After the sentencing memo in Cohen’s case was filed on Friday, Trump tweeted: ‘Totally clears the President. Thank you!’

But many, including Christie, said the tweet by Trump was incorrect and counterproductive.

‘There’s no way you can make this shorter but there’s lots of ways you can make it longer, and one of the ways to do that is to say you’re in the clear when the prosecutor still has subpoena authority,’ Christie said.

Christie has a lengthy history with Trump.

After Trump defeated Christie in a bruising Republican primary battle, the former Governor was the first contender to endorse the former reality television star.

In April 2016, Christie was named head of Trump’s transition team – even though it seemed a longshot that he would defeat Hillary Clinton in the general election.

But Christie lasted just six months. He was reportedly pushed out at the behest of Trump’s son-in-law Jared Kushner, according to The Guardian.

Kushner is said to hold a grudge against Christie, who was the federal prosecutor in New Jersey who sent his father away to prison for tax fraud.

In 2004, Charles Kushner, the real estate mogul, was indicted by the U.S. Attorney’s Office in New Jersey – which was headed by Christie.

Christie’s investigation revealed that Charles Kushner hired a prostitute to seduce his brother-in-law, whom he suspected was cooperating with Christie.

The plan was to videotape the sexual encounter and then send the tape of Kushner’s sister.

Christie was also rumored to be Trump’s top choice for Vice President, but that was reportedly vetoed by then-campaign manager Paul Manafort.

As Trump’s cabinet has been in chaos, Christie was also rumored to be a candidate for the Attorney General’s position, particularly after Jeff Sessions’ dismissal.