January 17, 2012: A story breaks in the Philadelphia Inquirer that Senator Chris Christie (R-NJ) used his position on the Senate Budget Committee to remove an earmark in the 2011 budget for a cancer research center in newly gentrified Camden, purportedly to get back at Democratic congressman Rob Andrews, who had refused to back Christie's re-election bid after having supported him back in 2006. Congressman Andrews, who has long represented New Jersey's 1st Congressional District, had been pushing for the research center for several years and had seemingly succeeded in securing the funding for it, until it was abruptly removed when the budget moved to the Senate. Senator Christie denies the allegation and calls it a "ridiculous attempt by Democrats to imperil his re-election campaign."
January 20, 2012: Several House staffers come forward to testify that they had seen aides to Christie meet with Congressman Andrews a few times and had heard arguing on numerous occasions. As a result, the Senate Ethics Committee opens a probe into the matter and a possible abuse of power.
March 16, 2012: New evidence emerges in the Christie budget probe, which has been dubbed "Budgetgate" by the media, that shows emails exchanged between top Christie aides and staffers showing discussions of ways they can get back at Congressman Andrews for refusing to support Christie. Senator Christie promptly fires these aides, but they are requested to testify before the Senate Ethics Committee as part of the probe.
April 3, 2012: At one of the hearings on Budgetgate, one of Christie's aides says that she was instructed by the Senator himself to threaten action against Congressman Andrews if he didn't endorse him. While Christie denies the accusation that he was at all linked to this, he is expected to be questioned by the Ethics Committee as well at some point as he has been directly linked to Budgetgate.
June 5, 2012: Senator Chris Christie (R-NJ) narrowly survives a primary challenge by Republican Congressman Frank LoBiondo, his campaign having been bogged down by Budgetgate and the allegations that he had acted in retribution against a Democratic congressman for refusing to endorse him for re-election. While he has survived his primary, he is seen as vulnerable in November as further investigation into Budgetgate continues.
June 26, 2012: During the hearing for his involvement in Budgetgate, Senator Chris Christie (R-NJ) is asked whether he had the proposed cancer research center in Camden removed from the 2011 budget. He says he did not, despite emails to the contrary from some of his top aides and staffers. While he attempts to quickly backtrack his statement, it is quickly reported in the media, which further damages his re-election campaign. Many see this as the turning point in Christie's re-election campaign, as accusations that he is a liar and a corrupt politician come to dominate the New Jersey Senate race.
November 6, 2012: Democrat Sheila Oliver defeats Republican incumbent Chris Christie by a huge margin to be elected U.S. Senator from New Jersey. She is both the first woman and the first African American to be elected to the Senate from New Jersey.
