LAS VEGAS (AP) — As Chris Christie fights to recover from scandal, elite Republican business leaders may be close to dismissing him as a serious contender for president.

Soon after the New Jersey governor downplayed his administration’s traffic scandal as “a footnote” in a prospective 2016 campaign, Republican donors at a hedge fund conference in Las Vegas this week shared a decidedly pessimistic view of Christie’s presidential prospects. Even self-proclaimed Christie fans said his political image probably has suffered permanent damage, acknowledging they’ve been forced to look elsewhere for a business-friendly presidential contender.