Michele Brown, the acting first assistant U.S. Attorney for New Jersey who received a loan from her former boss, New Jersey governor candidate Chris Christie (R), resigned today, citing the controversy over the financial distraction. From the Newark Star-Ledger:

The surprise resignation came only eight days after it was revealed that Brown had borrowed $46,000 from Christie while he was her boss as the state's U.S. attorney. The disclosure became a huge distraction for the GOP candidate, who is seeking to unseat Democratic Gov. Jon Corzine, after Christie acknowledged that he failed to report it on his income tax returns and mandatory financial disclosure reports.

Christie released this statement:

"Michele Brown is a career prosecutor who has worked at the U.S. Attorney's office for 18 years, serving both Democratic and Republican presidents.  Michele's long and distinguished record of public service is impressive, and during that time she's shown herself to be a fair and respected federal prosecutor among judges, adversaries and her peers. Her efforts have been instrumental to all the success the U.S. Attorney's office has had and her work ethic, determination and outstanding legal background will be missed by all those she has worked with over the years.  I know Michele will continue to be a success at whatever she chooses for her next challenge."