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Govs. Christie, Cuomo had dinner together one week before Port Authority announced toll hikes
Gov. Chris Christie and Gov. Andrew Cuomo of New York had dinner a week before the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey, which they jointly control, announced a steep increase in tolls to cross the Hudson River, according to information posted on New York State government website today.
Christie and Cuomo have both denied knowing about the toll increases until a few days before the Port Authority publicly unveiled its proposal.
The dinner meeting, at the Beacon Restaurant in Manhattan, became public when Cuomo released detailed copies of his schedule for the first eight months in office on a new site intended increase government transparency.
The sharply higher toll increases were announced on Aug. 5, and at the time Christie issued a statement critical of the large rise. He later said he was shocked by the proposal and had only learned of it on Aug. 3. (Gibson, The Star-Ledger)