Drewniak, Kelly, Stepien among 20 subpoenaed in GWB scandal

[George II]

Source: Bergen Record

Twenty subpoenas rained down on Governor Christie’s office and the Port Authority on Thursday, demanding documents related to the George Washington Bridge controversy be turned over to a legislative panel investigating the origins of a traffic jam apparently manufactured out of spite.

Among those who were sent subpoenas, according to a source: Christie’s former deputy chief of staff Bridget Kelly and his former campaign manager Bill Stepien, as well as spokesman Michael Drewniak, Director of Communications Maria Comella, chief counsel Charles McKenna, chief of staff Kevin O’Dowd, and director of the authorities unit Regina Egea.

The subpoenas dropped Thursday evening, following a day of rapid developments: the formal creation of two state legislative panels that have subpoena power; the announcement that Christie’s office had hired its own legal counsel; and a powerful U.S. Senator’s finding that there is “zero evidence” the lane closures had a legitimate purpose.

Check back soon for more information


Read more: http://www.northjersey.com/news/Drewniak_Kelly_Stepien_among_20_subpoenaed_in_GWB_scandal.html

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They're just reviewing this information now, I'm sure more details will be posted shortly.

These guys have done a GREAT job covering this story!

[Raine1967]

1. can you get a good link?

I'm getting File not found.

[Ptah]

3. Here:

http://www.northjersey.com/news/Drewniak_Kelly_Stepien_among_20_subpoenaed_in_GWB_scandal.html

[Raine1967]

4. we posted the link at the same time...

BEER!

[mountain grammy]

12. Thanks.

[George II]

16. fixed mine with your link - as suspected the story has been updated with more information.

[Raine1967]

2. Here you go:

http://www.northjersey.com/news/Drewniak_Kelly_Stepien_among_20_subpoenaed_in_GWB_scandal.html

This is gonna be an interesting few days. They didm;t even wait for the friday nite news dump!

[Bjorn Against]

5. Just to be clear none of the subpoenas have been made public yet

I am pretty much certain the source in this article is correct as all those names do seem like likely targets, but we won't see the official list until tomorrow.

[Raine1967]

6. Does anyone know who issued the subpoenas?

State? Fed? I didn't see it mentioned in the article.

[Hassin Bin Sober]

8. I don't think the Feds have gotten that far yet. This is state.

[Raine1967]

9. Thank. I was kinda assuming that myself.

20 is a pretty big number. Christie has got to be a bit nervous tonight. He's probably hiding stuff under the container that holds the food to feed the ducks. (soprano ref)

[obxhead]

21. 1 will be the big number

Which person sings first with an immunity agreement.

That will be the biggie. Most will be parrots "I have no recollection" while 1 or 2 will be beautiful song birds that tell the real story.

I hope anyway.

[Grateful for Hope]

10. Correct. This is definitely state.

But, thank goodness the news is national.

[George II]

17. Pretty sure they're Legislature/Senate committe subpoenas - those are the two bodies that got...

....authorization today.

[rgbecker]

7. Also this from that paper.

http://www.northjersey.com/news/Senator_No_evidence_of_a_legitimate_traffic_study_in_GWB_scandal_by_Port_Authority.html?c=y&page=1

[Cha]

15. thanks, rg

US Sen. Rockefeller: No evidence of a legitimate traffic study in Port Authority response on GWB scandal -

[MannyGoldstein]

11. The people served are about to be wealthy

Republican plutocrats will offer them huge bucks to STFU.

[obxhead]

22. Maybe

Money can buy a lot, but freedom is priceless.

If this has teeth, someone will spill all to avoid jail.

[libdem4life]

23. Don't think so...perjury charges are very serious. Too many subpoenas, email chains

and nobody likes Christie. He ruled by fear and intimidation and that façade has been cracked. The top Money Guy in NJ is getting a subpoena.

[mountain grammy]

13. Between the aquittal of the murdering cops in Ca., the movie shooter,

the Koch chemical spill in WV, and all the other horrific events of the past few days, this is the only story that I get to enjoy (don't know if that's the right word.) What am I looking for? Satisfaction? Revenge? Relief? So many emotions while I watch this bully humbled, and just when he was looking so good. I'm trying to remember if it felt this good when Nixon resigned.

[George II]

18. We didn't have internet updates, had to wait for the newspapers and evening news back then...

....but the Nixon unraveling and the ultimate resignation were heartwarming.

[oldandhappy]

30. I remember dancing in the parking lot

when we heard Nixon had resigned. Relief.

[Cha]

14. And, David Samson.. the "general".. yes, they have done

an excellent job covering every inch of this inevitable exploding story.. and it's sooo appreciated!

[yellowcanine]

19. Fire Department called when shredder overheats in NJ governor's office.

It could happen.

[George II]

20. CNN has now listed some of the individuals subpoenaed:

Kevin O'Dowd, Christie's chief of staff
David Samson, a close adviser
Bridget Anne Kelly, former deputy chief of staff
Bill Stepien, two-time Christie campaign manager
Charlie McKenna, Christie's chief counsel
Regina Egea, incoming chief of staff
Michael Drewniak, Christie's chief spokesman
Nicole Davidman Drewniak (mistake possibly???)
Bill Baroni, top New Jersey official at Port Authority and Christie appointee
Patrick Foye, Port Authority executive director
Maria Comella
Colin Reed
Matt Mowers

[Laxman]

25. No Mistake

Nicole Davidman is married to Michael Drewniak. What a lovely household that must be.

[George II]

26. Thanks. Thought it might have been a typo - so, can they be cellmates at Rahway?

[libdem4life]

24. Rachel or Lawrence asked who would likely be the first to get immunity. I think they'll be standing

in line ... but they indicated that David Wildstein inferred in his recent 5th Ammendment performance, that he'd be willing to talk for immunity. Christie is toast and his power of intimidation is not gone, but significantly under scrutiny which makes for more willing cooperation. Hard to control all 20 stories.

[George II]

27. I would think that if anyone, it would by Kelly...

...the sympathetic single mother of four. And, she's probably in a position to finger (sorry!) all the people at the Port Authority as well as some higher ups in the Governator's office.

[libdem4life]

28. She's definitely taken the heat and public verbal abuse from Christie himself...liar, deceitful,

Yet seems they are starting with the big guns first...which was the advice of the new counsel for the Legislature...the one that put the Illinois Governor in jail. And, oddly enough, Christie retains an attorney who typically represents RICO/Mob clients. Also, Kelly was provided with an attorney that seemed to be more like the Christie pick. She is a single mom of 4 kids and surely doesn't have the financial means to defend herself, so I'm sure there's a story here, as well.

[George II]

29. But did you notice.... in his long press conference last week, he said....

..that he was embarrassed, felt betrayed, yadda yadda... because she LIED to him. Yet never did he say that he was upset because they shut down those lanes. By his public pronouncements, he wasn't explicitly upset about the traffic jams, but was upset because they didn't tell him about it.

[libdem4life]

31. It was all about Him. He publicaly berated her/had her fired by someone else while the guys were

asked to resign. He was never upset about the traffic jam...whether he ordered it or not...and in some way he did...because he micromanages/runs that place like a military operation. He was livid that he got caught at least with his staff's screwing up the operation.

And reading about how deep this could go ... stuff is coming out right and left. Greg Palast has a scathing article about Christie and the Koch brothers and illegal funding. That's where he is this weekend...going for funding in Florida.