Guadagno Launches a Think Tank

Lt Governor Kim Guadagno. Photo credit: Tim Larsen/Governor’s office

Lt. Governor Kim Guadagno today announced the formation of a policy think tank committed to creating solutions to New Jersey’s “crisis point that threatens New Jersey’s hardworking families.”

Building a Better NJ Together will focus on policy, not politics, Guadagno said on a conference call.  The group’s mission is to get input and contributions from all New Jerseyans to solve the state’s pressing problems caused by deep-rooted and complex causes once and for all.  The group will “strive to unite New Jerseyans around the shared goal of a smaller, more efficient government that fights for our middle class families and protects our most vulnerable, all while opening opportunities for the residents of our state to enjoy a more prosperous future.”

Guadagno is the Honorary Chair of the tank.

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Former Christie aide Bill Stepien is working again on N.J. campaigns

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Bridgegate’s 30 Pivotal Hours: How Kevin O’Dowd Missed The Signs

Bridgegate’s 30 Pivotal Hours: How Kevin O’Dowd Missed The Signs (via NJSpotlight)

Kevin O’Dowd, Christie’s chief of staff, entered Drumthwacket, the governor’s mansion in Princeton, as usual by the side entrance, filing through the kitchen and the dining room, where he was surprised to see Gov. Chris Christie sitting huddled…

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Christie’s Internal Bridgegate Report To Be Released Thursday

MMM photo/Art Gallagher

The former prosecutors that the Christie Administration hired to perform an internal investigation into the George Washington Bridge lane closures and allegations made by Hoboken Mayor Dawn Zimmer that Lt. Governor Kim Guadagno told Zimmer that Sandy aid for Hoboken was contingent upon a development approval will release the findings of their investigation on Thursday morning at 11:30.

A New York Times article about the report published on Sunday says it will address what and when Mr. Christie and his aides knew about the lane closings; analyze the structure, practices and culture of the Christie administration that contributed to the scandal; and issue pointed recommendations to prevent such conduct in the future.

Randy Mastro, a former Assistant U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of New York and a Deputy to former New York Mayor Rudy Guiliani, lead the team of lawyers from Gibson Dunn in conducting the investigation.  Over 70 interviews were conducted and thousands of documents reviewed in the probe that cost New Jersey taxpayers over $1 million.

Three key players in the Bridgegate scandal, Christie former Deputy Chief of Staff Bridget Ann Kelly, Christie’s former political strategist Bill Stepien and David Wildstein, Christie’s former #2 at the Port Authority of NY/NJ, did not submit to interviews with Mastro’s team.

A joint legislative committee lead by Assemblyman John Wisniewski and Senator Loretta Weinberg continues to investigate the Bridgegate matters. U. S Attorney Paul Fishman’s office is also investigating.

Christie told NJ 101.5’s Eric Scott during his Ask the Governor radio show on Wednesday evening that if Mastro’s report implicates members of his staff, that punitive measures will be taken.

MMM will livestream Mastro’s press conference on Thursday at 11:30 AM

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New bridge scandal e-mails include Christie chief strategist Mike DuHaime

New bridge scandal e-mails include Christie chief strategist Mike DuHaime (via NJ.com)

TRENTON — New e-mails released today by the legislative panel investigating the George Washington Bridge lane closings link Gov. Chris Christie’s chief political strategist, Mike DuHaime, to discussions about the scandal and show more intimate involvement…

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Bill Stepien’s lawyer objects to legislative subpoena in bridge scandal, requests its withdrawal

Bill Stepien’s lawyer objects to legislative subpoena in bridge scandal, requests its withdrawal (via NJ.com)

In a strongly worded 19-page letter, the lawyer to Bill Stepien, the former campaign manager and staffer to Gov. Chris Christie embroiled in the George Washington Bridge lane closure scandal, is objecting to a subpoena sent to his client by a legislative…

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Christie Fires Kelly and Stepien, U.S. Attorney Opens Bridgegate Investigation

A contrite and “heartbroken” Governor Chris Christie answered questions for almost two hours today from the state and national press corps in a press conference in which he announced the firing of his Deputy Chief of Staff Bridget Kelly and his long time political manager Bill Stepien.   Kelly’s employment was terminated first thing this morning and Stepien was advised that his consultancy with the Republican Governors Association was terminated and that Christie is withdrawing his nomination as Chairman of the NJ GOP.

Christie said he fired Kelly because she lied to him about her prior knowledge of the September lane closures at the George Washington Bridge.  Stepien was let go because Christie lost confidence in the political operative’s judgement after reading his participation in the emails released in the Bridgegate controversy yesterday.

The New York Times is reporting that U.S. Attorney for New Jersey Paul Fishman has opened an investigation into the Bridgegate matter today at the request of the Port Authority of NY/NJ’s Inspector General.

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Bridgegate: Emails tie Christie’s staff to George Washington Bridge lane closures

Governor Chris Christie and Deputy Chief of Staff Bridget Kelly. Photo via facebook

Emails and text messages published by NorthJersey.com  appear to implicate Governor Chris Christie’s Deputy Chief of Staff Bridget Ann Kelly in the planning of the George Washington Bridge lane closures that disrupted traffic in Fort Lee for a week last September.  The documents support contentions by Democrats in the legislature and media reports that the lane closures were executed as political retribution against Fort Lee Mayor Mark Sokolich for failing to endorse Christie’s reelection.

NorthJersey.com’s extensive coverage can be found here.

Prior to today’s revelations, the Christie Administration’s official story was that the lane closures were order by Christie’s top appointees to the Port Authority of NY/NJ, David Wildstein and Bill Baroni, as a traffic study regarding the appropriateness of Fort Lee having three dedicated toll lanes to the George Washington Bridge.

The documents show that Christie’s campaign manager, Bill Stepien, and the Governor’s chief spokesperson, Michael Drewniak, participated in conversations on how to respond to media inquiries about the lane closures.   Stepien was named Christie’s choice to replace Sam Raia as Chairman of the NJ GOP yesterday. The documents also indicate that Baroni was very concerned about how Christie’s staff evaluated his testimony before the Assembly Transportation Committee on the lane closures in November.

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Raia steps down as NJ GOP Chair, Stepian will take over

Governor Chris Christie’s trusted political advisor is taking over the leadership of the New Jersey Republican Party.

Bill Stepian managed Christie’s 2009 victory over Jon Corzine, became the Governor’s  Deputy Chief of Staff and then managed the 2013 reelection campaign.  Stepien was tabbed by Christie today to replace Sam Raia, the real estate executive and mayor of Saddle River who lead the NJ GOP for the last three years.  Raia resigned today, effective immediately.

In a press release, the NJ GOP characterized Raia’s tenure as “historic.”

“We’ve surpassed each of our goals during the three years of my chairmanship – we’ve reelected our Governor by historic margins, raised $8.8 million and laid the groundwork for the future success of our Party,” said Raia.  “I couldn’t be more thankful for the opportunity provided by Governor Christie and members of the State Committee to serve our Party.”

Winning control of the legislature must not been one of Raia’s goals.

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