Palast: Christie and Koch in Cahoots? It's Time to Subpoena the Committee for Our Children's Future

[highplainsdem]

Must-read from Greg Palast at Truth-Out:

http://truth-out.org/news/item/21258-gov-christie-and-david-koch-in-cahoots-its-time-to-subpoena-the-committee-for-our-childrens-future

Far more insidious, more corrosive and dangerous than the Governor of New Jersey playing traffic warden is the story of Gov. Chris Christie's secret meetings with a gaggle of billionaires - and the legality of the spending by the front organization set up following these hidden hugger-muggers.

In 2012, a tax-exempt "social welfare organization" called Committee for Our Children's Future, CCF, ran a series of TV ads telling America that Governor Christie has performed more miracles in New Jersey than Jesus did with loaves and fish. The New York Times found some old college chums who said they set up the "Children's" crusade for Christie. But the ads cost about $6 million. The Times didn't ask how Christie's buddies, not wealthy guys, found the six big ones.

But CCF was not started in 2012. When I heard "Children's Future," my nose started twitching. I smelled Koch.

The whiff of sulfur took me back to seven thick investigation binders nearly two decades old - each one marked "KOCH." In Volume 3, I found it: CCF - Campaign for Our Children's Future.

-snip-

The entire article is a must-read, from Palast's paragraphs about the Koch brothers' role in ensuring Republicans maintained control of Congress in 1996, to his description of Christie's relationship with the Kochs now. Palast believes Christie's meetings with the Kochs and their spending on his behalf violated the law prohibiting secret coordination and planning between independent groups and a candidate.

[annm4peace]

1. why isn't Rachel Maddow talking about this

you know Greg Palast probably went her info on it.

this is far worse than the Bridgegate, even as bad as it is.

[hollysmom]

2. Christie has signed on to Koch and spoke at their meetings already,.

He backed voter ID breaking the unions and the teachers. He wants to get cities to void their retirement plans for civil service. He follows the Koch playbook, but the legislature is still democratic

[libdem4life]

3. That was an exhausting read. Maybe there are more people sweating this investigation than

formerly thought. Christie and the Kochs. This could be quite a feather for the Chief Investigator...who brought down the Illinois Governor and Chicago corruption.

[rocktivity]

4. Palast "introduced" me to the Koch Brothers a decade ago

Last edited Fri Jan 17, 2014, 06:28 PM - Edit history (2)

via his book The Best Democracy Money Can Buy.

"Governor Soprano" was in the process of ramrodding a pipeline through the New Jersey pine barrens on behalf of a Koch-linked company. And perhaps there's an alternative motive for the Ft. Lee lane closures: limited access to the George Washington Bridge would most certainly devalue the development project that has recently been financed. If the current backers were to get "discouraged" and pull out, Christie could bring in his backers to the "rescue" at a fraction of the cost, and make the Ft. Lee mayor look bad for dessert!


rocktivity

[libdem4life]

5. I think this is the real one. The funding "completed" the following Monday. Darn close to a

smoking gun.

[rocktivity]

8. Check this out

Straight from the developer's Web site!


rocktivity

[libdem4life]

9. Wow...nothing new under the sun...quoting Solomon.

[Lint Head]

6. I think some subversion against the greedy Koch bastards is in order.

[freshwest]

7. K&R for another outting of a Koch kingdom fiefdom. NJ is not alone, either. n/t