Christie bridge scandal: Port Authority won’t pay Wildstein’s bills (via NJ.com)
TRENTON — The Port Authority of New York and New Jersey said Friday it won’t pay the legal bills of the former official — and ally of Gov. Chris Christie — who ordered the controversial lane closures at the George Washington Bridge last year…
Lt. Governor Kim Guadagno and DCA Commissioner Richard Constable fingered by Zimmer
Hoboken Mayor Dawn Zimmer told MSNBC’s Steve Kornacki this morning that Lt. Governor Kim Guadagno and Department of Community Affairs Commissioner Richard Constable threatened to deprive Hoboken of Sandy Relief funds if she did not secure a development approval for for a project favored by Governor Chris Christie.
The Rockefeller Group project hasn’t been approved and Hoboken has only gotten a small fraction of the Sandy Relief it requested. Port Authority Chairman David Samson’s law firm, Wolf and Samson, represents the Rockefeller Group.
Zimmer requested $127 million in aide for Hoboken, 80% of which was underwater after the Superstorm hit in October of 2012. The city has received $142,000 for a back up generator and $200,000 in recovery grants.
On Karnack’s show, UP with Steve Kornacki, Zimmer said she should have come forth sooner.
The governor’s office has denied the claims. Spokesperson Michael Drewniak issued the following statement to MSNBC:
“Mayor Zimmer has been effusive in her public praise of the Governor’s Office and the assistance we’ve provided in terms of economic development and Sandy aid,” Christie spokesman Michael Drewniak wrote in a statement. “What or who is driving her only now to say such outlandishly false things is anyone’s guess.”
A Hudson County Jury apparently did not believe Zimmer’s testimony last month when they awarded Hoboken’s former public safety director $440,000 in a discrimination suit . The jury held the City, not Zimmer, accountable for the discrimination.
Zimmer showed Korancki documents and her diaries to back up the explosive claims she made this morning. She said she would be willing to testify under oath.
Posted: January 18th, 2014 | Author: Art Gallagher | Filed under: Chris Christie, Dawn Zimmer, Hoboken | Tags: Bridgegate, David Samson, Department of Community Affairs, Governor Chris Christie, Kim Guadagno, MSNBC, Port Authority of NY/NJ, Richard Constable, Steve Kornacki | 13 Comments »
New Christie bridge scandal subpoenas target governor’s top aides, advisers (via NJ.com)
TRENTON — Some of Gov. Chris Christie’s closest aides and advisers — as well as his re-election campaign committee — are among those subpoenaed this evening by the newly formed state Assembly panel investigating the George Washington Bridge scandal…
Assemblywoman Amy Handlin
Assemblywoman Amy Handlin (R-Middletown) has been named to the Special Assembly Committee that will investigate the September lane closures on the George Washington Bridge that have dominated the state and national news for the last week since The Record published emails that revealed that Governor Chris Christie’s then Deputy Chief of Staff, Bridget Ann Kelly, ordered the lane closures with an email to Port Authority’s then Director of Interstate Capital Projects, David Wildstein.
During her public service career as an Assemblywoman, Monmouth County Freeholder and Committeewoman in Middletown, Handlin has earned a reputation as a ethics hawk and outspoken critic of governmental excesses.
Handlin is an Associate Professor of Marketing at Monmouth University and the author of Crony Capitalists in our Backyards: Who they are, What the do and How to fight back.
Joining Handlin on the twelve member committee are eight Democrats; Chairman John Wisniewski, the Assembly Transportation Committee Chair who has spearheaded the Bridgegate to date, Marlene Caride (Bergen/Passiac), Lou Greenwald (Mercer), Gordon Johnson (Bergen), Paul Moriarty (Gloucester), Linda Stender (Union) and Bonnie Watson Coleman (Mercer).
The other Republicans on the committee are Michael Patrick Carroll (Morris), BettyLou DeCroce (Morris), and Holly Schepisi (Bergen).
Posted: January 15th, 2014 | Author: Art Gallagher | Filed under: Amy Handlin, Chris Christie, Port Authority | Tags: Amy Handlin, Bridgegate, Port Authority of NY/NJ | 7 Comments »
We’re hearing plenty about Bridgegate and Governor Christie’s response to it from cable news pundits and late night comedians. MMM thought it would be interesting to hear what our Monmouth County leaders, from both parties, have to say about the controversy and Christie’s response to it at his press conference last Thursday.
Sea Bright Mayor Dina Long, said “No, and I’m angry that some are tossing by name around as if I’m waffling about my endorsement,” when we asked her if she regretted endorsing Christie in light of the Bridgegate scandal. “Bridgegate is terrible, but it does not undue the Sandy recovery. My endorsement was based on the Sandy recovery. Let’s wait and see what happens when all the facts come out. Right now it’s a feeding frenzy.”
Senator Jennifer Beck said, “The governor has always straight forward me with, and he was forthcoming in his press conference on Thursday. I believe him.”
Monmouth County Republican Chairman John Bennett said, “Governor Christie was open and sincere in his press conference. He said that he will now talk to everyone on his staff himself to get to the bottom of what happened. This issue may have gotten away from him because he departed from his usual practice of doing it all himself.
“Unfettered and overzealous politicos on Christie’s staff went way over the mark. The lane closures were a bad, bad idea that never should have happened.”
Monmouth County Democratic Chairman Vin Gopal hasn’t returned our calls since we debunked his malicious and inaccurate attempted character assassination of a Red Bank Republican Council Candidate last October, so we asked his predecessor, Victor Scudiery, and the man who opposed him in the chairman’s race in 2011, Frank LaRocca to comment.
Former Monmouth Democratic Chairman Victor Scudiery said, “I take Chris Christie’s word for it. We’ll have to play it out and see what happens. Everyone is jumping on the bandwagon, it’s frightening, but we have to wait and see.”
Posted: January 13th, 2014 | Author: Art Gallagher | Filed under: Chris Christie, Christie Administration, Monmouth County, Monmouth Democrats, Monmouth GOP, Port Authority | Tags: Adam Schneider, Bridgegate, Chris Christie, Declan O'Scanlon, Dina Long, Frank LaRocca, Jennifer Beck, John Bennett, Lillian Burry, Matt Doherty, Port Authority of NY/NJ, Sean Kean, Victor Scudiery, Vin Gopal | 5 Comments »
Bridge scandal to be investigated by special committee empaneled by N.J. Assembly (via NJ.com)
TRENTON — Leaders in the state Assembly said today they will form a special investigatory committee with subpoena power to continue the probe of the September lane closures on the George Washington Bridge. The committee will be led by Assemblyman…
Bridge scandal: Democrats say they will pursue investigation into lane closures (via NJ.com)
By Salvador Rizzo and Mark Mueller Democratic lawmakers say they will “aggressively” press on with their investigation into the George Washington Bridge lane-closure scandal after Friday’s release of thousands of pages of documents showing key members…
Found on facebook and twitter
Posted: January 11th, 2014 | Author: Art Gallagher | Filed under: Chris Christie, Christie Administration, Port Authority | Tags: Bridgegate, Chris Christie, Facebook, George Washington Bridge, Humor, Port Authority of NY/NJ, Social Media, Twitter | Comments Off on Best of Bridgegate Funnies© Copyright 2024 | MoreMonmouthMusings | All Rights Reserved
