The Christie Investigation May Seem Quiet, But.....

[Laxman]

The U.S. Attorney's office has instructed the Bridgegate panels to stop calling witnesses! "They can no longer call anyone of note". A very interesting development. Christie acts like he's got nothing to worry about, yet the U.S. Attorney's investigation marches on. Whistling past the graveyard? I hope so. Its time for this despicable human being to be removed from the Governors office and made to face a criminal prosecution from the other side of the table. I'm pretty sure this request was not because the U.S. Attorney was concerned about the hearings preempting Thomas the Tank Engine and Dora the Explorer on NJ Public TV.

Bridgegate Committee Can't Call Any More Major Witnesses

The U.S. Attorney's Office has asked the New Jersey legislative committee investigating Bridgegate to refrain from calling a range of potential witnesses out of concern that their testimonies could interfere with an ongoing federal criminal investigation, according to a source close to the matter.

Those on the do not call to testify list include Gov. Chris Christie's chief political adviser, Michael DuHaime, who had several conversations with Christie and Port Authority figures as the controversy grew late last year, and Mark Sokolich, the mayor of Fort Lee, where the lane closures occurred. In fact, the list of those whom the committee has been asked not to subpoena is so long that "no one of note" can currently be called to testify, the source said.

read it here: http://www.njspotlight.com/stories/14/07/15/bridgegate-committee-can-t-call-any-more-major-witnesses

Listen to Matt Katz discuss the story on WNYC here: http://project.wnyc.org/christie/

[JustAnotherGen]

1. Thanks for posting this

I've kept an eye on it - I have to. He is abusing the people of NJ and as one of them - I'd be stupid to turn my back on him. And the US Atty's office is far more of a threat to him than our corrupt legislature. So good on US Atty for telling them to stand down. Those fools in Trenton will only be in the way. And dare I say - it might even be deliberate.

[Laxman]

10. There Is Always The Possibility....

(this being NJ and all ) for something "untoward" to occur and interfere with the process. There are just so many different avenues for the U.S. Attorney to pursue- Hoboken, a hundred different Samson deals, the Hunterdon County Sheriff debacle, Sandy money etc.... that focusing on the most serious or most likely successful prosecutions must be difficult. Plus you're dealing with a very powerful target with many resources. Its a miracle its progressed as far as it seems in this short a period of time. The Lt. Governor has gone underground. Wildstein and Kelly have disappeared. Samson has fallen off the face of the Earth. It's only been six months since the emails first came out. This U.S. Attorney operates very differently from Christie. We'll continue to hear very little until they're ready to move with indictments.

[Spazito]

2. Very interesting!

Having asked to committee to stop calling witnesses says to me the U.S. Attorney's office is moving forward with it's investigation and is at a point where those same witnesses may well be required to appear before the Grand Jury looking at this.

Christie, I have no doubt, is very worried, he certainly should be as should be his 'friends' ie David Samson. With the multiple investigations ongoing, Christie can pretend he is free and clear but nobody is buying that crock of crap, imo.

[cheyanne]

3. Thanks for the update.

I'm losing hope that Christie will ever see the defendant's chair in court.

I keep asking why has the Republicans not disavowed Christie? Do they know something I don't? Are they still arranging payoffs for the silence of Christie's staff to protect the interests behind Christie? Or just that as long as he keeps money raising, he has a bright future in the party?

Also, is anyone investigating the reason for the closures of the lanes? Let's face it, the "woman scorned" and "revenge on the mayor" explanations are lovely fantasies that insure that the investigations won't spread to the backers of Christie. But it has become apparent that things happen only in NJ when money changes hands.

Inquiring minds want to know.

[heaven05]

4. yep

[Laxman]

5. Right Now I Think This Investigation.....

is more about what we don't hear than what we do hear. Who has gone silent? Bridget Kelly, Wildstein, Kim Guadagno(emphasis added). We're used to the "Law and Order" world where a criminal case moves from crime, to investigation to prosecution and verdict in an hour. (with commercial interruptions) A complex investigation of a powerful and resourceful target doesn't happen in six months. But, we have the collective attention spans of a golden retriever puppy. We can only hope that Christie's connections to the U.S. Attorney's Office, or the powerful hand of George Norcross, or witnesses being compensated for silence or to take the blame, or any combination thereof will not derail the process. I just think there's too much there for this to go quietly.

[Ikonoklast]

6. No one is going to go to jail for Christie, a deal will be made with at least one witness

involving immunity and that person(s) will throw Christie under the bus.

Christie has screwed the pooch, there were far too many people involved that worked under him to be able to pay off to take the fall for him.

The pot is quite hot now, it will soon be boiling over.

[woodsprite]

7. About the boilover, from your keyboard to the PTB's ears! n/t

[malaise]

8. K & R

Thanks Laxman

[2banon]

9. Complete distraction..

Christie isn't going down. He's surviving quite well, just like Karl Rove, Dick Cheney et al. He's now part of the 1% where justice dare not tread.

[pnwmom]

11. Thanks for staying on this, Laxman. n/t

[Laxman]

12. A Bit More On This Subject....

the chairman of the committee explaining why they're backing off. This committee was never where the real action was anyway. They deserve credit for not letting the bridge issue die until everything else caught the attention of the U.S. Attorney's office but mostly what they do has more entertainment value than probative value.

NJ panel won't press for summer hearings on GWB lane closures, clears way for federal probe

The legislative panel investigating the George Washington Bridge lane closures is backing off plans for more hearings this summer out of concern that they could interfere with an ongoing federal criminal investigation, its co-chairman said Tuesday.

The panel had previously identified 13 additional witnesses it hoped to call to testify under oath about the lane closures — including several members of Governor Christie’s office and Port Authority officials.

But Assemblyman John Wisniewski, a co-chairman of the panel, said Tuesday that the committee’s attorney advised against calling about half of those witnesses after consulting with the office of New Jersey’s top federal prosecutor. And, with one exception, the panel’s leadership has decided to hold off on issuing subpoenas to the others on the list, he said.

That exception is Regina Egea, who oversaw the Port Authority for Christie when the lane closures occurred. She is expected to testify Thursday, and would be the panel’s fifth witness so far.

“Our counsel has communications with folks in the U.S. Attorney’s Office, and he advises us on folks we should stay away from,” Wisniewski, D-Middlesex, said. “We’re mindful that things we do could have unintended consequences.”


Port Authority Executive Director Pat Foye and Christie’s former chief counsel, Charles McKenna, are among those whose testimony before the legislative panel was determined might interfere with the federal investigation, Wisniewski said. Fishman’s office had previously requested that Foye’s testimony be postponed so that he could first appear before the grand jury.

Read it here: http://www.northjersey.com/news/nj-panel-won-t-press-for-summer-hearings-on-gwb-lane-closures-clears-way-for-federal-probe-1.1051722

[Beach Rat]

13. Hey, I like Thomas the Tank Engine!

The committee has seemed inept to me. Their questions seemed to lack focus or direction. The testimony takes way too long. Stuff comes out in the testimony, like direct contradictions to claims that Christie has made and it gets lost in a bunch of posturing. Like Christie's timeline has been blown to smithereens by nearly every witness. I look forward to the U.S. Attorneys dong their job. Here in Monmouth we already knew Guadagno was a shady character.

[Viva_Daddy]

14. if they ever get around to investigating Christie's misuse of Sandy Relief Funds...

it will make the "scandal of Bridgegate" look like a walk in the park.