Star Ledger - Corzine is being considered for Treasury secretary, two N.J. Dems say, November 05, 2008

Gov. Jon Corzine, a multimillionaire and former Wall Street chief executive, is being actively vetted by the Obama transition team as a possible candidate for Treasury secretary in the new administration, two New Jersey Democrats familiar with the process said early this morning.

As part of the vetting process, the transition team is reviewing Corzine's financial and personal documents, the sources said. The sources asked not to be identified because the vetting process is confidential.

Neither Corzine nor his aides would respond to a request for comment.

Corzine, who used to run financial services giant Goldman Sachs, had long dismissed as speculation talk that he might be interested in running the sprawling U.S. Treasury Department. But in recent days he has changed his message, telling a television interviewer "No one's ever going to say never."

Corzine said last night that if President-elect Barack Obama asked him to serve in his administration, he would consider the offer -- but that he'd rather fight for a second term in New Jersey.

"I'd like to stay here and use New Jersey as a basis" and example for the rest of the country, Corzine said on New Jersey Network from the victory party of U.S. Sen. Frank Lautenberg (D-N.J.).

The governor has long, deep ties to Obama after having been an early advocate for the president-elect's upstart campaign for U.S. Senate in 2004. Though Corzine backed Obama's opponent, Hillary Clinton, in the Democratic primaries, the governor quickly moved to renew his relationship with Obama after the president-elect had secured his party's nomination. Since then, Corzine has played a key role in Obama's universe as an economic adviser and booster for the incoming president.

Corzine's name surfaced as a member of the short list Monday in a report on the TheDeal.com. He would follow a long line of Goldman Sachs leaders into the secretary's post, including the current secretary, Henry Paulson.