New Bridge Scandal Emails: PA Official Said Christie Team's Lane Closure "Violates Federal Law"

[highplainsdem]

Source: Mother Jones

In a September 13 email released Friday by the New Jersey Assembly panel probing Republican Gov. Chris Christie's George Washington Bridge scandal, Port Authority executive director Patrick Foye wrote that the decision to shut down access lanes to the bridge violated state and federal laws.

"I believe this hasty and ill-advised decision violates Federal Law and the laws of both States," Foye noted, explaining his decision to reopen those lanes to traffic. "I am appalled by the lack of process, failure to inform our customers and Fort Lee and most of all by the dangers created to the public." Foye sent his email after four days of heavy traffic jams caused by the closures to nearly a dozen officials at the Port Authority, including chairman David Samson, a Christie appointee.

-snip-

On Thursday, Christie expressed confidence that Samson played no part in causing the Fort Lee traffic disaster, saying, "I am convinced that he had absolutely no knowledge of this, that this was executed at the operational level and never brought to the attention of the [Port Authority] board of commissioners." Yet when Foye ordered the lanes reopened on September 13, David Wildstein, a Christie appointee at the Port Authority official wrote to a Christie staffer, "We are appropriately going nuts. Samson helping us to retaliate."

Another email released on Friday shows an effort to keep the story from going public. On the night of September 13, Foye received an email from Bill Baroni, a Port Authority official appointed by Christie (who resigned in December as the scandal was unfolding). It read, "I am on my way to the office to discuss. There can be no public discourse."

-snip-

Read more: http://www.motherjones.com/mojo/2014/01/emails-port-authority-bridge-closure-violate-law-christie

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Note: I had to substitute "PA" for "Port Authority" in the headline to make it fit.

[TheBlackAdder]

1. Knock! Knock!... Who's There?... Conspiracy... Conspiracy Who?...

Conspiracy as in your butt's going to a Federal Prison and you will be in GP with a bunch of mobsters you've helped to put away.

[Kelvin Mace]

4. And since they are probably destroying docs

and emails, "conspiracy's" friend "obstruction" will be along any day now.

[TheBlackAdder]

8. I'm waiting for the data center failure and the loss of backup tapes to happen.

Any day now.

And what's with the use of private emails to conduct state business?

[Kelvin Mace]

11. They seem to believe that

by using private accounts they can dodge records laws. Trouble is, as soon as such an account is discovered on a computer, tablet or smartphone, it is subject to a subpoena.

[madrchsod]

2. who`s going to fall on his sword to save chis`s ass?

[dgibby]

3. So, let me get this straight:

Foye thinks this is a violation of state and federal laws, and he is "appalled", but it takes him 4 days to correct the problem? WTF is WRONG with this picture?

[dorkzilla]

5. Foye is PA NEW YORK...

He was trying to get the idiots in New Jersey to open the lanes. He couldn't reopen the lanes in another state.

[TheBlackAdder]

6. Sorry, wrong post. The link from the My Posts section to me to you. n/t

[dorkzilla]

9. Clear as mud!

Sorry, the only name you mentioned was Foye and then went on to say "it took him"...

Christie is a moron who clearly doesn't care about people and thinks he's above the law.

[TheBlackAdder]

12. I saw a My Post to my comment, clicked on it and ready your reply, thinking that was your response.

When really, you didn't reply to me.

Only after the post did I see that error.

[dorkzilla]

14. Quite alright, my friend...

Listen anyone with your screen name will get a pass every time anyway.

For the record, Black Adder 2 was my favorite incarnation. I loved Miranda Richardson as Queen Elizabeth.

[dorkzilla]

10. LOL, okay!

No harm done (other than my confused brain!)!

[dgibby]

7. Oh, thanks. I missed that. n/t

[dorkzilla]

13. Totally understandable...

Its not you, its the wording of the article; it doesn't say that Foye was on the other side of the Hudson, just says he is with the Port Authority.

[dorkzilla]

15. Foye's email is really impressive

Since its a screen shot I am unable to cut and paste but go and look at the whole thing. He's duly angry and swears to get to the bottom of the decision. If the WSJ article (see: http://www.democraticunderground.com/?com=view_post&forum=1002&pid=4306682) is correct and Christie called Cuomo to get Foye to stop digging, this should hang the bastard (Christie) right away.

I sure hope Christie hasn't bought a new suit for his swearing in...he may have to take it back!

[prommie]

16. Christie responded by calling Cuomo and asking him to muzzle Foye

That is well documented. That's when Christie started his own personal coverup activities. Which he apparently knows nothing about because they happened before Wednesday morning. When he is asking himself questions about himself he should ask himself whether he is sane to believe that we are going to believe his fucking lies? He contacted the governor of New York, who had appointed Foye, and asked him to shut down Foye's investigation of the lane closures, then yesterday he took the stage and said he never once ever talked to anyone about anything to do with any of it ever ever.

[jsr]

19. Yep.

[TBF]

20. He's pretty much in full meltdown -

which is a beautiful thing to see.

The only question I have left at this point is whether the right or left is more interested in destroying him. He's conservative (I particularly hate how he has treated teachers) but obviously not as conservative as the teabaggerati wing of the party. It is going to be very interesting to see who the repugs will run in 2016 because clearly Christie is out of the running now.

[SkatmanRoth]

17. Paging Eric Holder n/t

[DURHAM D]

18. When Baroni says "I am on my way to the office..."

Is he talking about the Governor's office?