George Pataki Blasts Chris Christie For Withholding Key Endorsement

Former New York Gov. George Pataki (R) ripped into New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie (R) in an interview with the New York Daily News for not endorsing New York GOP gubernatorial candidate Rob Astorino.

“To me, it’s incomprehensible and disappointing,” Pataki told the paper in the interview, published Monday. On Christie's role as chairman of the Republican Governors Association (RGA), Pataki said, “the RGA is a very important organization ... at the very least, you don’t want them denigrating his efforts."

Addressing Astorino's candidacy in July, Christie said he doesn't "pay for landslides" or "invest in lost causes" -- prompting Astorino to openly tout support from other Republican governors soon after.

"I don't have the juice to take a 37-point race and make it competitive," Christie elaborated on Friday. "You know who does? The candidate."

Astorino has also suggested that Christie may want to think about stepping down as RGA chairman in light of his comments and refusal to make an endorsement in the New York gubernatorial election.

Pataki's comments come as current New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo's (D) office is being probed by U.S. Attorney Preet Bharara for its alleged role in improperly interfering with the "independent" Moreland Commission -- which was created in order to root out public corruption, and was shut down in March.

“A lot of things are going to happen, and the Moreland Act commission is one of them,” Pataki added.

Cuomo is being challenged in the Democratic primary by Fordham University law professor Zephyr Teachout, who has also tried to capitalize on Cuomo's ethics scandal.

HuffPost Pollster has Cuomo leading Astorino ahead of the November general election: