Days before he resigned as New Jersey U.S. Attorney last year to run for governor,  Republican Chris Christie hired the inexperienced son of a friend and mentor as a prosecutor. At the time, Democrats criticized the hiring as political patronage.

Chris Christie (Christie for Governor)

Now, the Star-Ledger newspaper is reporting that Samuel Stern was hired over the objections of “nearly every assistant U.S. attorney who interviewed him.” Also, Christie took the “unusual step of changing the interview process” after prosecutors with whom Stern had interviewed declined to recommend him for the job, the newspaper said.

The hiring of Stern was politically controversial because he is the son of Herbert Stern, a former federal judge who supported Christie for appointment as U.S. Attorney in 2002 over objections about Christie lack of law enforcement experience.

Christie in 2005 awarded Stern’s law firm a $3 million court-monitoring contract. When Christie quit to run for governor, people associated with Stern’s law firm donated $23,800 to Christie’s campaign. Stern and his wife each contributed the maximum allowed, $3,400, the Star-Ledger said.

Christie is now in a close race against Gov. Jon Corzine (D).

Here’s the Star-Ledger’s description of Samuel Stern’s interview process:

Typically, candidates are subject to several rounds of interviews, meeting first with three rank-and-file prosecutors. If that goes well, they meet with three division supervisors. The final interview is typically with the U.S. attorney or a top deputy.

In Stern’s case, he performed poorly in his first round, and none of the rank-and-file assistants who interviewed him recommended that he be hired, the officials said. He was given the unusual opportunity for a second chance with three different rank-and-file assistants, but again received negative reviews, the officials said.

Then on Friday, Nov. 14 — after Stern had met with just two supervisors — Christie offered him the job, the officials said. The following Monday, Christie announced his own resignation.

Chris Christie, Republican nominee for New Jersey governor, will testify before the House Judiciary commercial and administrative law subcommittee tomorrow about deferred prosecution agreements he made while he was New Jersey U.S. Attorney.

An Associated Press rundown of the deals is here.