Oops!Christie Port Authority appointees kept campaign manager informed on fallout from GWB

[malaise]

lane closures
http://www.northjersey.com/news/documents-christie-port-authority-appointees-kept-campaign-manager-informed-on-fallout-from-gwb-lane-closures-1.744676
<snip>
Governor Christie’s top Port Authority appointees were keeping his campaign manager informed about the fallout from the lane closures from their earliest stages, according to documents released today by the George Washington Bridge investigative committee.

The Port Authority executives each forwarded campaign manager Bill Stepien an email on Sept. 12 – the third day of the closures, which caused huge traffic jams in Fort Lee -- from the borough’s mayor, who complained that the closures endangered the public.

In the letter from Fort Lee Mayor Mark Sokolich, the Democrat complains that he is “reaching the conclusion that there are punitive overtones associated with this initiative.”

Baroni forwarded the letter to Stepien, along with the note, “Following up.” The campaign manager replied, “Thanks.” Wildstien also forwarded the letter to Stepien. All three men used their personal, rather than official, email accounts. No further discussion is contained in the documents.
-----------------------

[M0rpheus]

1. Getting closer... Just one more step. nt

[malaise]

2. Christie knew

They were following orders.

Can't wait for the click of the final piece of this puzzle.

[M0rpheus]

5. I know, but it's a matter of proof.

If there's no proof, he can just hide for a bit and come back with his career only slightly stained.

I can't wait for that last piece, either.

[malaise]

9. I don't see a come back here

Give me some of Jon Stewart's popcorn - looks delish!

[onehandle]

3. Christie 2016!

...for the newest cast member of Jersey Shore.

His political career is over and he'll need to generate some cash to support his helicopter lifestyle.

[malaise]

4. I'm just waiting for him to remove that stomach staple

and have a good meal - that will be proof that he got the message

[erronis]

42. Absolutely - every dem should be out there rooting for the boar

It would be so much great theater to have this oinker representing the republicans. He is definitely a prime cut example of the rw pigpen (and I mean absolutely no disrespect to the real porcines!)

Pass the pork rinds!

[rocktivity]

6. Well, why do you THINK Christie has been so desparately "loyal" to him, Samson

and his of chief staff who he tried to put on the NJ Supreme court? Unlike Kelly and Baroni, they reported to him directly, so even if it is true that Christie didn't know, HE SHOULD HAVE!!!


rocktivity

[malaise]

7. Christie knew

We know that

[Laxman]

12. Some Folks Are Taking Up The Cause....

of putting the heat on Samson!

Protests planned for Port Authority meeting in Jersey City

Protesters will descend on Jersey City on Wednesday for a meeting of the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey to demand that the embattled chairman, David Samson, resign.

New Jersey Working Families Alliance also recently filed a formal complaint with the state Ethics Commission against Samson, who has been accused of using the powerful public appointment to enrich his law firm, Wolff & Samson.

http://www.nj.com/politics/index.ssf/2014/03/protests_planned_for_port_authority_meeting_in_jersey_city.html

although they got the name wrong! Its the Port Authority of New York, New Jersey, Wolff & Samson!

[Little Star]

8. Rachel should be good tonight :)

[Laxman]

10. Not A Treasure Trove....

but there are some interesting items in these e-mails:

Here are the links to the e-mails:

http://dng.northjersey.com/media_server/tr/2014/03/17docs/2014031720Exhibits20II.pdf

http://dng.northjersey.com/media_server/tr/2014/03/17docs/2014031720Exhibits20III.pdf

They constructed an elaborate (maybe not so elaborate) ruse to cover their tracks. They got a republican freeholder candidate/lobbyist from Bergen to write a letter praising the "traffic study", they broke traffic data from e-z pass data down to the assembly district level so they could say to each committee member "x number of drivers from your district was delayed because of fort lee's 'dedicated' traffic lanes", stirring up trouble over a "trash train" and they put all of their communications on their g-mail accounts to try and cover their tracks. Deliberate obstruction of the investigation. Plus the little add-on: "almost as much fun as going after Lautenberg". What dirt bags.



Just look at the names on the e-mail chains-Kelly, Wildstein, Drewniak, DuHaime, Michaels, Stepien, Baroni, Agea, Comella, O'Dowd, McKenna-all around Christie. Plus a meeting at the state house with McKenna, Baroni and Wildstein. The walls are closing in.

[malaise]

11. Thanks Laxman

They are going to pay - please please please!!

[Laxman]

13. I Sure Hope That Mr. Critchley....

and Mr. Fishman have been spending some quality time together in the last week. Critchley went out of his way to portray Bridget Kelly as sympathetic and vulnerable at the hearing. It was purposeful. I think it was like sending up a flare that signaled "call me" to the US Attorney. Critchley is a smart guy and everything he does is for a reason. Talking about Kelly's kids while the reporters were trailing them with live mikes was a deliberate move.

If they haven't spoken yet, it won't happen until at least tomorrow afternoon.... Mr. Critchley loves St. Patrick's Day!

[malaise]

14. Ha

You're cracking me up here.
This should be a very interesting week - isn't the judge ruling this week on Kelly and Stepien?

[Cha]

20. Ouuuh.. a vertible rat's nest of christie goons. the usual suspects.

"..and they put all of their communications on their g-mail accounts to try and cover their tracks." so clever.. uh, little did they know how "Time for some traffic problems in Ft Lee" would be splashed across newspapers in America and go Viral online.

Remind please.. how did those emails get discovered?

Thank you, Laxman~

[spanone]

15. thanks for the update malaise

[malaise]

16. Hi there spanone

It's back to Christie week

[Iliyah]

17. Given pieces of 911 buildings parts

as gifts for political "thank you" has got me fuming.

[calimary]

18. Yeah, no kidding.

Burns me up, too. The crass tacky exploitation of all those deaths and the tears and heartbreak of their loved ones. And this asshole wants to use the relics of that calamity for his own political gain. It's a sacrilege.

[flamingdem]

19. yummy n/t

[Beacool]

21. Yes, but Sergeant Schultz Christie still claims not to know anything........

"I hear nothing, I see nothing, I know nothing!"

[randome]

25. Because of Christie's comparison to Sgt. Schultz, I downloaded all 6 seasons of Hogan's Heroes.

Out of nostalgia.
[hr][font color="blue"][center]I'm always right. When I'm wrong I admit it.
So then I'm right about being wrong.[/center][/font][hr]

[Beacool]

27. Good for you!!

I used to watch that show in reruns. I wonder if it's still shown somewhere.

[uponit7771]

22. Chris Christie - "... My campaign manager lied.......................... TOO..."

[malaise]

23. Everyone lied except Christie

and his Delilah - Samson

[Botany]

24. So Baroni told Christie's campaign manger, Stepien, but he Stepien, didn't tell the governor

..... about a multi day traffic jam on the busiest bridge in the world or that the Mayor
of Ft. Lee was complaining and was worried about public safety because of the traffic
problems????

Christie is toast it is just a matter of time. Christie knew ..... end of story.

BTW P.A. cops were telling drivers stuck in traffic that it was the mayor of Ft. Lee's
fault.

[Beacool]

28. Hmmm, me thinks that it's time to cut-off Samson's hair.

And watch Christie's temple topple over him.

[Botany]

29. The man is toast no way in hell he didn't know

[malaise]

38. Love that traffic jam

Hope it's served up on that nasty, vindictive, ReTHUG, scumbag Christie's toast

[Beacool]

41. Love the toaster and jam.

[WillyT]

26. K & R !!!

[Laxman]

30. Wish You Were Here.....

not sure this is the way to get answers, but making Christie uncomfortable is certainly a good thing.

Chris Christie town hall disrupted by protesters again

A group of Rutgers University students, as well as union representatives, were kicked out of a town hall meeting with Gov. Chris Christie today.

The group rose up in unison after Christie finished answering a question about why parents who send their children to Catholic schools have to pay taxes to support public schools and started shouting at the governor, blasting him for his handling of Hurricane Sandy relief aid.

One of the protestors called out a chant and the rest echoed it, line by line.

"Governor Christie, we are here to demand, you stop your corrupt uses, of Hurricane Sandy money," they said. "There are still families without homes who have received no aid."

"Be quiet," one woman in the audience yelled at the protesters chanted.

The hecklers specifically took aim at a housing project in New Brunswick that received federal Sandy relief aid.

http://www.nj.com/politics/index.ssf/2014/03/chris_christie_town_hall_disrupted_by_protesters_again.html#incart_m-rpt-1

[malaise]

31. Bwaaaaaaaah hahahahahha

The bully has met his match

[JNelson6563]

32. I hope some are at every Christie event.

It sure was good to see him looking so very miserable at the super bowl. More of the same please!

Julie

[Beach Rat]

33. I'm going to try to get into one of these "town halls"

I wonder what kind of screening of the audience goes on. I won't yell at him, I just want to ask a question.

[JNelson6563]

34. Awesome!

[Gothmog]

35. This disclosure was designed to help the case for production of documents

The law on this issue is such that the production of documents is not protected by the 5th amendment if the existence of the document in question is a foregone conclusion. Stepian's attorneys argued that only five e-mails involved him and so there was no reason to believe there were more e-mails. These disclosures show that it is indeed a foregone conclusion that Stepian was involved in the process and that there are more e-mails

[DallasNE]

36. You Use Personal Email For One Reason And One Reason Only

And that is to cover your tracks. Covering your tracks means you know what you are doing is wrong/illegal and you are trying not to get caught. The Bush Whitehouse did this a lot too, then destroyed those records (the District Attorney scandal comes to mind there).

[malaise]

37. And the coverup gets you

every time

[Laxman]

39. And Another Thing....

I just put two and two together on this one. Samson's firm represented GTECH, an online gambling company that sponsors a game called Party Poker. Back in December I took my son and his friend into NYC for a day in the city. We got on a PATH train (as in PORT AUTHORITY TRANS HUDSON) to go in. Inside the car we boarded, every single advertising placard-and I mean EVERY SINGLE ONE- was an advertisement for Party Poker. I've been riding PATH trains for almost 50 years and I've never been on a car where all 50 or so advertising posters were for the same thing. Coincidence?

[Laxman]

40. A Very Interesting Editorial In The Star Ledger This Evening....

Christie's GW Bridge scandal moves closer: Editorial

The George Washington Bridge scandal just moved a big step closer to Gov. Chris Christie with the revelation that his campaign manager knew about the lane closures while they were underway.

Bill Stepien, who was fired by the governor for reasons that remain a mystery, was twice sent a copy of a protest letter from Fort Lee Mayor Mark Sokolich on Sept. 12, during the week the access lanes were closed.

The two emails came from David Wildstein and Bill Baroni, Christie’s top appointees at the Port Authority, both of whom have since stepped down in disgrace.

Stepien’s response to the emails is telling. He does not ask why the lanes were closed in the first place, or why the mayor charged that it was done as an act of political revenge. He asks nothing about the urgent public safety issues the mayor described in his letter. He just says thanks.

The only plausible reason Stepien would not ask those obvious questions is that he already knew the answers. It seems clear that he had already discussed the lane closures before receiving these emails.

http://www.nj.com/opinion/index.ssf/2014/03/christies_gw_bridge_scandal_moves_closer_editorial.html#incart_m-rpt-1

they finish it up with this kicker:

What’s certain is that Stepien knew about this in real time. The big question now is whether he discussed it with the governor, and if so, when. Stay tuned.

Stay tuned indeed!

[malaise]

44. I'm tuned in big time

[Overseas]

43. K&R.