Christie's biggest backer to support Romney

Billionaire venture capitalist and Home Depot co-founder Ken Langone, who aggressively pushed Chris Christie to enter the presidential race, has decided to throw his support behind Mitt Romney, CBS News has confirmed.

Langone's decision, which comes hours after Christie announced he would forgo a run, signals that the big donors who have spent much of the year seeking a Romney alternative may finally have decided to get behind the former Massachusetts governor.

Christie's decision has set off a behind-the-scenes effort for other candidates to secure the big-money donors who had been waiting on Christie, among them hedge fund magnate Paul Singer and industrialist David Koch. Sources tell CBS News that Romney's camp began efforts to woo Christie's backers Tuesday morning, even before Christie formally announced his decision.