Year in review: May 2015

Christine Giordano Hanlon dropped the “Acting” from her title and became Monmouth County Clerk when the NJ Senate unanimously confirmed her nomination to replace M.Claire French.  Hanlon was elected to her own five year term on November 3.

U.S. Attorney Paul Fishman cleared Lt. Governor Kim Guadagno in the allegations lodged at her by Hoboken Mayor Dawn Zimmer. Zimmer alleged that Guadagno delivered a message from Governor Chris Christie threatening to withhold Sandy relief funds if Hoboken did not approve a development application by the Rockefeller Group.

Former Manalapan Mayor Andrew Lucas was sentenced to five years in federal prison for his convictions related to his acquisition of Burke Farm.

David Wildstein pleaded guilty in the Bridgegate scandal, claiming that the George Washington Bridge lane closures in September of 2013 were political retribution against Fort Lee Mayor Mark Sokolich for failing to endorse Governor Chris Christie’s reelection. Bridget Ann Kelly and Bill Baroni were indicted in the matter. Wildstein’s attorney claimed that Christie knew about the lane closures while they were occurring. Christie claimed that U.S. Attorney Paul Fishman’s indictment announcement cleared the governor of any wrong doing in the matter.

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Guadagno Cleared Of Hoboken Mayor’s Charges

Lt. Gov Kim Guadagno, center, with former Monmouth County Clerk M. Claire French, right and Sui Allex, a Marlboro GOP Council candidate, at the launch of the We Care About NJ PAC on Tuesday evening.

Lt. Governor Kim Guadagno has been cleared by U.S. Attorney Paul Fishman in the allegations against her made by Hoboken Mayor Dawn Zimmer, according to a report at NJ.com.

After months of praising the Christie Administration after Superstorm Sandy, Zimmer used the media frenzy when the Bridgegate story broke in January of 2014 to become famous by alleging that Guadagno shook her down seven months earlier.

The mayor said that Guadagno told her, on behalf of Governor Christie, that Hoboken’s Sandy recovery aide was tied to Zimmer pushing through a development application for the Rockefeller Group.  The shakedown allegedly happened at a supermarket ribbon cutting ceremony in May of 2013.  Zimmer suddenly remembered the shakedown in January of 2014 when the George Washington Bridge lane closure scandal was dominating the news.

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Christie scandal: Hoboken mayor’s claims ‘demonstrably false,’ internal report says

Christie scandal: Hoboken mayor’s claims ‘demonstrably false,’ internal report says (via NJ.com)

An internal investigation conducted by lawyers working for Gov. Chris Christie’s office found no evidence to support claims his top people tried to strong-arm Hoboken Mayor Dawn Zimmer into approving a development project, according to a report released…

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