Christie biggest Sandy contractor fired Won contract after donating $1.7M to reelection bid

[kpete]

Christie biggest Sandy contractor fired Won contract after donating $1.7M to reelection bid: http://t.co/QlsxstSB7q #Maddow #SteveKornacki


Christie's Biggest Sandy Contractor Fired
Company Also Made Donation to Group Run by Christie

Thursday, January 23, 2014
WNYC
By Matt Katz : New Jersey Public Radio

Sandy recovery has been the signature achievement of New Jersey Governor Chris Christie, yet WNYC has learned his administration quietly terminated its contract with its biggest contractor in charge of getting Sandy victims back in their homes.

The company won its contract last May shortly after its law firm made a $25,000 donation to the Republican Governors Association, which is now headed by Christie and contributed $1.7 million to his re-election campaign. According to the Wall Street Journal, the contractor's law firm is a based in New Jersey and politically connected.

HGI was being paid $68 million in fees to administer a $780 million program. Its performance was widely criticized at legislative hearings in Trenton over the last several months for being inefficient and unhelpful, and for losing paperwork. The contract was terminated in December, and took effect on Monday, but that had not been publicly announced. Documents indicating the arrangement were found on a state web site. The company is to be paid $10.5 million as an "unpaid balance" — and for work performing during a "transition period" following termination.

HGI was also criticized for how it implemented its home reconstruction program in Louisiana after Katrina, according to the Wall Street Journal. Company officials have said they were improving operations.

................

MORE:
http://www.wnyc.org/story/christies-biggest-sandy-contractor-quietly-fired/
http://www.wnyc.org/story/christies-biggest-sandy-contractor-quietly-fired/

[mucifer]

1. I think that's everyday stuff here in Chicago.

But, I'll K and R this because it's bad stuff.

[Bjorn Against]

2. People are trying to say Bridgegate is a distraction, stories like this prove it is not

This story is about our democracy, when our public works go on sale to the highest bidder and public services are cut off to those who do not sell out to big money then we can no longer claim to be a democracy.

[Cracklin Charlie]

13. I have to agree with you.

These people's foolish, ridiculous, criminal activities affect our very lives. I saw a post below about a possible revenge boardwalk fire! They have put all number of people in real danger. And they laughed about it! I am really having a hard time figuring out why in the world would Christie blow such a seemingly bright, if Republican, political future over this kind of petty payback stuff. Bridgegate, if you want to call it that, seems to be only the very tip of the wedge of corruption that is now being driven through Christie's political career.

I realize that each situation is not on the level of Christie's, but graft and corruption is not at all beneficial to a democratic society.

[Spazito]

3. Oh my my my, this is getting beyond interesting and into explosive...

Fired in December with NO public announcement, hmmmm, the timing is......interesting, to say the least. I can't help but wonder if "the contractor's law firm is a based in New Jersey and politically connected." might be Sampson's law firm, it's odd the article references the law firm the way it does yet doesn't name it.

[HipChick]

4. K&R

Follow the money...

[ProSense]

5. They should look

HGI was being paid $68 million in fees to administer a $780 million program. Its performance was widely criticized at legislative hearings in Trenton over the last several months for being inefficient and unhelpful, and for losing paperwork. The contract was terminated in December, and took effect on Monday, but that had not been publicly announced. Documents indicating the arrangement were found on a state web site. The company is to be paid $10.5 million as an "unpaid balance" — and for work performing during a "transition period" following termination.

...look into the boardwalk fire. Who was the contractor? Were corners cut?

[rocktivity]

9. The Seaside Heights broadwalk fire was officially termed an accident

But the town's mayor is a Democrat...

http://www.usatoday.com/story/news/nation/2013/09/17/new-jersey-boardwalk-fire-cause/2825225/


rocktivity

[Justice]

6. Capehart Scatchard is the law firm; Glenn Paulsen is the lawyer

See = http://www.wolfenotes.com/2013/10/did-christie-select-another-corporate-crony-for-sandy-recovery/

http://www.capehart.com/attorneys/glenn-r-paulsen/ - there is NO PHOTO of Glenn Paulsen - completely odd.

[pnwmom]

7. Thanks. That's the first question I asked. You saved me the trouble of looking. n/t

[SheIsSane]

17. If someone can teach me

How to add an image, I can post pictures for you. He is a behind the scenes guy. I liked and admired him for a while until I saw what it was truly about.

[rocktivity]

22. Just type in the URL of the image.

as long as it's posted on a server or photo sever account. And welcome to DU!


rocktivity

[tridim]

8. Christie is exactly like Warden Norton from The Shawshank Redemption. nt

[Elwood P Dowd]

15. The Warden was such a good Christian man

just like Christie and all male republicans.



I've been saying for years the repuke party is the biggest organized crime outfit in the history of The United States. They make the Mafia look like pick pockets in comparison.

[spanone]

10. the steady drip, drip, drip....

[DamnYankeeInHouston]

11. Thank you, New Jersey, for makimg texas look so good.

[zeemike]

12. Invest 1.7 million get 68 back

Plus 10 million severance pay....not a bad investment I would say.

[Gary 50]

18. Not good enough...

They want a hundred to one payback on their bribes. They were cheated.

[Major Nikon]

20. They only invested $25K

The RGA is the one that financed the $1.7 million of Christie's campaign. So Christie can be bought for a lot less than $1.7 million.

[ReRe]

14. Drip

[SheIsSane]

16. Even a worm can turn.

Yup. Mr. Glenn is the defacto chair who spent a large amount of time raising money for the RGA and local and congressional elections. Both he and Christie use fear and intimidation tactics to get things done. I once admired his ability to get things done until I started to see what was really going on here.

Hey Glenn if you ever read this you can take the confidentiality agreement I signed and wipe your ass with it. xoxo love you.....

[rocktivity]

19. The story now says

HGI won its contract last May shortly after its New Jersey law firm, Capehart Scatchard, made a $25,000 donation to the Republican Governors Association, which is now headed by Christie. The RGA contributed $1.7 million to Christie's re-election campaign.

If HGI gave $1.7M to the RGA which was meant for Christie's campaign, that's one thing. If HGI gave it to Christie's campaign directly, that's another. But now they're saying that the RGA got $25k from HGI's law firm, and that RGA gave Christie's campaign $1.7M as if the two weren't connected. What gives?


rocktivity

[Matariki]

21. Will someone please explain campaign donation limits to me?

I thought there was a limit of a few thousand dollars per candidate before it becomes a criminal offense. How did this company contribute $1.7 million to Christie's re-election campaign?

What am I missing here?

[freshwest]

23. Citizens' United. Many believe the reforms of the 70's are still in force, but it isn't so. n/t

[freshwest]

24. They still got away with all that money before being fired. So no harm to them. n/t