Tag: Bridgeaplooza

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Did Bridge-gate take its first Democrat Casualty Jersey City Mayor Steven Fulop?

Mayor Steven Fulop

The Intrigue Under the Jersey City Hood

By Max Pizarro • 09/28/16 11:09pm

The locals saw it, and their heads turned.

At Jersey City Mayor Steven Fulop’s City Hall press conference on Tuesday a recognizable local figure showed up and stood at the outskirts of the activity.

This person had shown up to “gloat,” in the words of one person familiar with the dynamics of how and why the endorsement went down. He was front and center, shaking people’s hands and saying things like “glad we are on the same team.”

Insiders knew him mostly because of a publicized row he had with the mayor going back to 2013.

It was former Police Chief Robert “Bubba” Cowen, and in the hours following Fulop’s shocking exit from the 2017 governor’s race he increasingly became the subject of considerable local speculation.

Two sources today told PolitickerNJ that Cowen possesses evidence backing up his claims in a lawsuit that Fulop tried to politicize his police duties in a mini local version of Bridgegate.

https://observer.com/2016/09/the-intrigue-under-the-jersey-city-hood/

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More Media Contrived fake Attacks on Christie

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New Hampshire man who confronted Chris Christie on ‘Bridgegate’ changes story

A New Hampshire man who confronted Chris Christie about his role in the Bridgegate traffic scandal on Wednesday was mistaken about being stuck in the paralyzing September 2013 traffic jam in Fort Lee, New Jersey, he told POLITICO.

At a restaurant in Manchester, New Hampshire, where Christie was greeting potential voters on his tour of the Granite State, Richard Moquin claimed to have sat in the infamous traffic jam with his wife as they traveled to Manhattan to celebrate their wedding anniversary.

Turns out that wasn’t true. (Martel/Politico)

https://www.politico.com/story/2015/04/man-who-confronted-chris-christie-on-bridgegate-changes-story-117007.html#ixzz3XTH0FIDN

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Judge: Christie ex-aides Kelly, Stepien can withhold documents in GWB probe

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despite the media hype case stalls

Judge: Christie ex-aides Kelly, Stepien can withhold documents in GWB probe

APRIL 9, 2014, 4:02 PM    LAST UPDATED: WEDNESDAY, APRIL 9, 2014, 6:41 PM
BY SHAWN BOBURG
STAFF WRITER
THE RECORD

Two key figures in the George Washington Bridge lane closure scandal do not have to comply with legislative subpoenas demanding that they turn over documents, a judge ruled Wednesday, delivering a  setback to lawmakers whose probe linked the closures to the governor’s office earlier this year.

The Mercer County Superior Court judge agreed that Bridget Anne Kelly, Governor Christie’s former deputy chief of staff, and Bill Stepien, a former campaign manager, were right to assert their Fifth Amendment protection against self-incrimination. A federal criminal investigation into the lane closure is under way.

Judge Mary C. Jacobson described the subpoenas demanding documents related to the lane closures as too broad, one of several issues she identified, while acknowledging the legal complexity of the case forced her into “largely uncharted waters.” But Jacobson appeared to suggest that the legislative panel could re-issue more narrow subpoenas to Kelly and Stepien that might hold up against a legal challenge.

– See more at: https://www.northjersey.com/news/judge-christie-ex-aides-kelly-stepien-can-withhold-documents-in-gwb-probe-1.877447#sthash.0oKtUsH8.dpuf

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N.J. Senate President Sweeney said an investigation by fellow lawmakers into politically motivated traffic jams should end

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N.J. Senate President Sweeney said an investigation by fellow lawmakers into politically motivated traffic jams should end

TRENTON  — The New Jersey Legislature’s top Democrat said an investigation by fellow lawmakers into politically motivated traffic jams should end if a judge quashes the panel’s subpoenas before quickly reversing course Monday and saying the committee has not run its course.

https://www.northjersey.com/news/n-j-senate-president-sweeney-walks-back-comments-on-traffic-panel-1.843576#sthash.4KShaP26.dpuf

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Bridgeaplooza : Port Authority chairman David Samson steps down

David Samson

Bridgeaplooza : Port Authority chairman David Samson steps down
March 28, 2014, 03:45 pm
By Keith Laing

David Samson, the chairman of the New York and New Jersey Port Authority, has resigned in the wake of a scandal involving lanes being closed on the busiest bridge in the United States.

New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie (R) has been under fire for months since it was revealed that high-ranking officials in his administration were involved in a decision last year to punish the Democratic mayor of Fort Lee, N.J., by closing lanes on the George Washington Bridge, which connects New Jersey and New York.

Christie said Friday that Samson, a political mentor to the governor, agreed with the findings of a report that was released by his administration earlier this week finding that knowledge of the bridge scandal did not go hired that the officials who have already been named.

Read more: https://thehill.com/blogs/transportation-report/highways-bridges-and-roads/202060-nj-port-authority-chairman-resigns#ixzz2xLu29qSO
Follow us: @thehill on Twitter | TheHill on Facebook

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GWB scandal: Gee Wiz, There was a traffic jam but was there a crime?

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GWB scandal: Gee Wiz, There was a traffic jam but was there a crime?

MARCH 25, 2014, 10:44 PM    LAST UPDATED: TUESDAY, MARCH 25, 2014, 10:45 PM
BY STEPHANIE AKIN
STAFF WRITER
THE RECORD

It was a traffic jam apparently created for political retribution — not an allegation of bribery or kickbacks — that set off the chain of events that has enveloped Governor Christie’s administration in a scandal that has threatened to derail his presidential ambitions.

Almost from the beginning of the scandal, there has been speculation about what laws may have been broken or what charges could be brought as the circumstances did not mesh with statutes typically called upon for political corruption cases.

In addition, all of the key parties have denied or are staying quiet about involvement. Christie has repeatedly said he did not know about the order to close the Fort Lee approach lanes to the George Washington Bridge. And an internal report commissioned by Christie and expected to be released shortly reportedly clears the governor of any involvement.

– See more at: https://www.northjersey.com/news/gwb-scandal-there-was-a-traffic-jam-but-was-there-a-crime-1.750962#sthash.RZeigiVb.dpuf

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DiVincenzo amid Bridgegate uproar: “the governor will be here for another four years’

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DiVincenzo amid Bridgegate uproar: “the governor will be here for another four years’

Don’t count Democratic Essex County Executive Joseph DiVincenz among those regretful of endorsing Republican Gov. Chris Christie.

“I’ve talked to him and he sounds very strong,” DiVincenzo said of Christie. “I have to take him at his word. This situation is being handled by the right people now.”

He’s referring to Bridgegate, the scandal that prompted the U.S. Attorney’s Office to subpoena Christie’s campaign and the NJ GOP. In contrast to the county executive, the highest profile Democrat to publicly endorse the governor last year, the Star-Ledger this weekend backpedaled on its own endorsement of Christie in light of the George Washington Bridge Scandal and reports of the administration’s creation of a Hurricane Sandy slush fund.

“I did not even read it,” DiVincenzo said of the piece. “What I think in reference to my support is I still support him. There’s an investigation going on. It’s a mistake for people to jump to conclusions now. Look, he helped Essex County. OI approached past governors and they had no interest. This guy stepped in when I told him I need to have caps on spending. That’s the main reason I supported him, because of how he did things Democrats couldn’t get done.”

The powerful Democrat did note that Christie worked with Sweeney to accomplish the two percent cap on government spending. (Pizarro/PolitickerNJ)

DiVincenzo amid Bridgegate uproar: “the governor will be here for another four years’ | Politicker NJ

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Lawyer for Christie administration seeking documents, interview with Hoboken mayor

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Lawyer for Christie administration seeking documents, interview with Hoboken mayor
Sunday, February 9, 2014    Last updated: Sunday February 9, 2014, 7:48 PM
BY  SHAWN BOBURG
STAFF WRITER
The Record

A team of $650-per-hour attorneys representing Governor Christie’s office is seeking documents and a private interview with the Hoboken mayor, whose explosive allegations are a focal point of an ongoing federal probe — that the Christie administration tied Sandy recovery money to approval of a real estate project.

In letters obtained by The Record, lawyer Randy Mastro asked that Mayor Dawn Zimmer and four other Hoboken officials provide his legal team with documents already handed over to federal investigators. Authorities are looking into Zimmer’s claims that she was pressed to support a developer represented by the law firm of David Samson, the chairman of the Port Authority and a Christie confidant.

– See more at: https://www.northjersey.com/news/Lawyer_for_Christie_administration_seeking_documents_interview_with_Hoboken_mayor_.html#sthash.7NiR89w2.dpuf

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Is NJ the Most Corrupt State in America?

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Is NJ the Most Corrupt State in America?

As the Bridgegate investigation continues, South Jersey Congressman Rob Andrews has announced he’s stepping down while a House Ethics Committee investigates his campaign spending, and Trenton Mayor Tony Mack awaits the verdict in his federal corruption trial.

For many Garden State residents, it seems like business as usual.

With such a long and rich history of wrongdoing by public officials, ”New Jersey might be nicknamed the Corruption State, or at least the Strong-Arm State,” at least in the opinion of Fairleigh Dickinson political science professor Peter Woolley.

“There’s something about being in public service, generally, that offers you temptations to do things you probably shouldn’t do,” Woolley said. “Wherever there is a lot of local control and a lot of money flowing through the system, there’s going to be a lot of temptation and a lot of people wandering into grey areas and then into illegal areas. It’s as if many of our public figures are really in real estate development rather than public service.”

Woolley said it’s true that states like Illinois, Louisiana and even Massachusetts also have ethically-challenged politicians at every level, but New Jersey is right up there at the top of the list.

According to the professor, New Jersey residents have become so used to wrongdoing by public officials that sometimes, if someone is accused of something, “the facts matter less than the perception — and so that works for some politicians and it works against some politicians,” Woolley said. “Even if you haven’t done something wrong, or gravely wrong, your reputation can be damaged.” (Matthau/NJ101.5)

https://nj1015.com/is-nj-the-most-corrupt-state-in-america-audio/

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Bergen County Executive Kathleen Donovan Responds to Democrats attempt to tie lane closures on the George Washington Bridge to her administration

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file photo County Executive Donovan hosted a conference call with officials from around the county preparing for snow

Bergen County Executive Kathleen Donovan Responds to Democrats attempt to tie lane closures on the George Washington Bridge to her administration
Bergen County Executive Kathleen Donovan
Together, we have always put public service and the interests of taxpayers, families, seniors, and young adults before politics. Sadly Democrats, who now control the Bergen County Board of Freeholders, do not.

Instead, Democrats on the freeholder board choose to put politics before common sense. Recently, these same Democrats have tried and failed to somehow tie my administration to what now appears from recent news reports to be politically motivated lane closures on the George Washington Bridge. These lane closures are truly troublesome. I have always contended these attacks against me and my administration are totally inappropriate, a waste of time, and little more than political grandstanding.

Now the Record editorial on this topic agrees with us. Their calm, thoughtful narrative supports our position. Here are several excerpts from that editorial: “Now the board’s attempt to get top officials of the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey to come to Bergen County to discuss the scandal clearly has more to do with politics than anything else.” It is also worth noting that I, as Bergen County Executive, have no jurisdiction over the Port Authority.

The Record editorial also states: “The freeholders have no jurisdiction over the Port Authority. Additionally, there now are ongoing investigations into the matter by a joint legislative committee, the U.S. Attorney’s Office and the Port Authority inspector general.”

As your County Executive, I will not let politically motivated attacks distract me from my dedication to serving you, the citizens of Bergen County.

Thank you for your time, support, and well wishes. You can find the full Record editorial here.

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Port Authority policies, structure to face scrutiny by special committee

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Port Authority policies, structure to face scrutiny by special committee

Monday February 3, 2014, 7:03 PM
BY SHAWN BOBURG
STAFF WRITER
The Record

The George Washington Bridge lane closure scandal and a pair of controversies that grew out of them have exposed ugly truths about the Port Authority, the agency that has earned a reputation for secrecy, imperialism, and now political high jinks.

One leading Port Authority official said Monday the crisis has also created an opportunity to tackle some of the root causes and consequences of the agency’s recently-aired problems, including political patronage, a culture of fear, and conflicts of interest by commissioners.

Scott Rechler, the vice-chairman of the Port Authority, said in an interview that a five-member special committee, composed of three governor-appointed commissioners from New York and two from New Jersey, will be created later this month to consider policy changes and significant structural reforms to the 93-year-old bi-state agency.

– See more at: https://www.northjersey.com/news/Port_Authority_policies_structure_to_face_scrutiny_by_special_committee.html#sthash.j2mHXRBb.dpuf

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Chris Christie attacks N.Y. Times, David Wildstein

Chris Christie

Chris Christie attacks N.Y. Times, David Wildstein

Bridgeaplooza Is the story more about media bias  ?

By MIKE ALLEN | 2/1/14 5:19 PM EST

New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie (R), after a low-key initial response to Friday’s explosive allegations about his bridge-closing involvement, mounted a pugilistic defense late Saturday afternoon, attacking The New York Times and a former political ally in an email to friends and allies obtained by POLITICO.

“Bottom line – David Wildstein will do and say anything to save David Wildstein,” the email from the governor’s office says, referring to the former appointee who reignited the controversy. A letter from Wildstein’s lawyer on Friday asserted that “evidence exists … tying Mr. Christie to having knowledge of the lane closures, during the period when the lanes were closed, contrary to what the Governor stated publicly in a two-hour press conference.”

Read more: https://www.politico.com/story/2014/02/chris-christie-new-york-times-david-wildstein-102987.html#ixzz2s76esOKs

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Bridgeaplooza more assertions and no facts

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Bridgeaplooza more assertions and no facts

Christine Administration denies Wildstein’s Assertions

The Christie Administration just released the following statement:

“Mr. Wildstein’s lawyer confirms what the Governor has said all along – he had absolutely no prior knowledge of the lane closures before they happened and whatever Mr. Wildstein’s motivations were for closing them to begin with. As the Governor said in a December 13th press conference, he only first learned lanes were closed when it was reported by the press and as he said in his January 9th press conference, had no indication that this was anything other than a traffic study until he read otherwise the morning of January 8th. The Governor denies Mr. Wildstein’s lawyer’s other assertions.”

 

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Bridgeaplooza: New allegations emerge from Zimmer lawsuit

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Bridgeaplooza: New allegations emerge from Zimmer lawsuit

HOBOKEN — Hoboken Mayor Dawn Zimmer threatened to fire Carmelo Garcia, director of the local housing authority, unless he agreed to hire politically connected contractors, a recently filed lawsuit claims.

Zimmer’s lawyer says the claims are baseless and suggested they are retaliation engineered by Christie allies.

The strong-arm tactics alleged by Garcia, who is also a Democratic assemblyman, come two weeks after Zimmer, also a Democrat, claimed in a nationally televised interview that the Christie administration threatened to withhold Hurricane Sandy recover money for Hoboken unless she agreed to fast-track a development project the governor backed.

In the lawsuit filed last week in Superior Court in Jersey City, Garcia claims Zimmer pressured him to award contracts to her political allies. When he resisted, Zimmer and her husband, Stanley Grossbard, “began to subject Director Garcia to an unlawful pattern of harassment, threats, intimidation and extortion,” the suit claims. (Giambusso/Star-Ledger)

https://www.nj.com/politics/index.ssf/2014/01/zimmer_attorney_suggests_new_allegations_are_orchestrated_by_christie_allies.html#incart_river

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Bergen Record Continues Christie Smear Campaign :Sorry but the Whole Point of Agencies like the Port Authority is POLITICAL PATRONAGE

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Bergen Record Continues Christie Smear Campaign :Sorry but the Whole Point of Agencies like the Port Authority is POLITICAL PATRONAGE

Any thing you can say about Christie you can say about any Governor since the Port Authority was established

Again we ask WHERE HAVE YOU BEEN THE LAST 40 YEARS ?

The Tolls are $13 dollars to cross the GWB and not a word was spoken?

The Port Authority has been the dumping ground for politicians on the run since its inception including Jerry Speziale, the former Passaic County sheriff .
 
MacGreevey , Cozine , Cuomo  have all made political based appointments to the Port authority

Again We are not defending Christies actions or inaction’s but as a commuter sitting in traffic 5 days a week  we are more than outraged at the total disregard for the public until some politician gets inconvenienced .

Analysis: Christie’s approach on Port Authority different than his handling of other agencies

Saturday, January 25, 2014    Last updated: Sunday January 26, 2014, 12:30 AM
BY  JOHN REITMEYER
STATE HO– USE BUREAU
The Record

Chris Christie launched his first term as governor in 2010 by putting pressure on what he said was New Jersey’s “shadow government” of unelected authorities, boards and commissions. He vetoed a $5 million contract at one agency. He rejected a $1.27 million change order at another. And he even said no to a $37,500 lobbying deal.

 

– See more at: https://www.northjersey.com/news/Analysis_Governor_Christies_approach_to_Port_Authority_stands_out.html#sthash.qsxJbFha.dpuf