Welcome to DU!
The truly grassroots left-of-center political community where regular people, not algorithms, drive the discussions and set the standards.
Join the community:
Create a free account
Support DU (and get rid of ads!):
Become a Star Member
Latest Breaking News
General Discussion
The DU Lounge
All Forums
Issue Forums
Culture Forums
Alliance Forums
Region Forums
Support Forums
Help & Search
General Discussion
In reply to the discussion: Christie Crime Digest Volume III [View all]Laxman
(2,419 posts)90. Is The U.S. Attorney's Office Compromised.....
when it comes to investigating Christie? It's sure starting to look that way. I don't know, if it were my clients, I'd be urging Baroni and Kelly to brush up on their three part harmonies with Wildstein. One, two, one, two, three, four....
Chris Christie Administration Whistleblower To Justice Department: Bridgegate Prosecutor May Be Compromised
When Chris Christies administration quashed a grand jurys 43 indictments against the Republican governor's supporters in 2010, local prosecutor Bennett Barlyn objected. He was soon fired. Barlyn says the move to throw out the Hunterdon County indictments may have violated federal law -- and that ties between New Jersey U.S. Attorney Paul Fishmans office and Gov. Christie may have improperly prevented a probe from moving forward.
Barlyn sent a letter to Attorney General Loretta Lynch on Monday, expressing concern that apparent conflicts between Governor Christies administration and the U.S. Attorneys Office for the District of New Jersey ... may be compromising the latters independent role relating to the enforcement of federal criminal law.
In February, International Business Times reported that investigators from Fishmans office interviewed Barlyn about the events surrounding the quashed grand jury indictments. ABC News confirmed the IBTimes report. But Fishmans office abruptly issued a statement appearing to clear Christie and declaring that no investigation was underway. Former U.S. attorneys interviewed by IBTimes said such a statement pre-emptively exonerating a public official is extremely unusual.
Barlyn says in the letter to Lynch that this public backtracking immediately confirmed my suspicion that the interview was not conducted as part of a genuine inquiry, but was instead intended to placate me and forestall my efforts to have the quashed indictments investigated.
The Justice Department and Fishmans office declined to answer IBTimes questions about Barlyns letter. Christies office did not respond to IBTimes' requests for comment.
Barlyn first contacted Fishmans office last year with allegations -- made in the past by other former employees in the Hunterdon County prosecutors office -- that the Christie administration had illegally thrown out grand jury indictments against supporters, including the local county Sheriff Deborah Trout and Undersheriff Mike Russo. Barlyn has maintained he was fired after raising objections and has filed a wrongful termination lawsuit.
Barlyns case was assigned to investigator Thomas Mahoney, who was hired by Christie in 2006 when Christie was New Jersey's U.S. attorney.
Despite his ties to Christie, Mahoney was permitted to not only be the point person on Barlyns case but also be a supervisory criminal investigator on the probe of lane closures at the George Washington Bridge by officials at the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey. The "Bridgegate" investigation generated a guilty plea and two indictments of former top Christie allies, but the governor was not implicated.
During a Bridgegate press conference in May, Fishman was asked if his office faced any challenges in remaining independent. Theres nobody who was working on this case in my office -- no lawyers working on this case in my office -- who was hired by Gov. Christie, Fishman said.
A representative for Fishman later clarified that Mahoney had worked on the case but said that he is not a lawyer.
In fact, according to records obtained by IBTimes, roughly 40 percent of the current U.S. attorneys office is made up of personnel hired by Christie.
Barlyns letter to Lynch is the latest incident to raise questions about Fishmans independence from the governor.
When Chris Christies administration quashed a grand jurys 43 indictments against the Republican governor's supporters in 2010, local prosecutor Bennett Barlyn objected. He was soon fired. Barlyn says the move to throw out the Hunterdon County indictments may have violated federal law -- and that ties between New Jersey U.S. Attorney Paul Fishmans office and Gov. Christie may have improperly prevented a probe from moving forward.
Barlyn sent a letter to Attorney General Loretta Lynch on Monday, expressing concern that apparent conflicts between Governor Christies administration and the U.S. Attorneys Office for the District of New Jersey ... may be compromising the latters independent role relating to the enforcement of federal criminal law.
In February, International Business Times reported that investigators from Fishmans office interviewed Barlyn about the events surrounding the quashed grand jury indictments. ABC News confirmed the IBTimes report. But Fishmans office abruptly issued a statement appearing to clear Christie and declaring that no investigation was underway. Former U.S. attorneys interviewed by IBTimes said such a statement pre-emptively exonerating a public official is extremely unusual.
Barlyn says in the letter to Lynch that this public backtracking immediately confirmed my suspicion that the interview was not conducted as part of a genuine inquiry, but was instead intended to placate me and forestall my efforts to have the quashed indictments investigated.
The Justice Department and Fishmans office declined to answer IBTimes questions about Barlyns letter. Christies office did not respond to IBTimes' requests for comment.
Barlyn first contacted Fishmans office last year with allegations -- made in the past by other former employees in the Hunterdon County prosecutors office -- that the Christie administration had illegally thrown out grand jury indictments against supporters, including the local county Sheriff Deborah Trout and Undersheriff Mike Russo. Barlyn has maintained he was fired after raising objections and has filed a wrongful termination lawsuit.
Barlyns case was assigned to investigator Thomas Mahoney, who was hired by Christie in 2006 when Christie was New Jersey's U.S. attorney.
Despite his ties to Christie, Mahoney was permitted to not only be the point person on Barlyns case but also be a supervisory criminal investigator on the probe of lane closures at the George Washington Bridge by officials at the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey. The "Bridgegate" investigation generated a guilty plea and two indictments of former top Christie allies, but the governor was not implicated.
During a Bridgegate press conference in May, Fishman was asked if his office faced any challenges in remaining independent. Theres nobody who was working on this case in my office -- no lawyers working on this case in my office -- who was hired by Gov. Christie, Fishman said.
A representative for Fishman later clarified that Mahoney had worked on the case but said that he is not a lawyer.
In fact, according to records obtained by IBTimes, roughly 40 percent of the current U.S. attorneys office is made up of personnel hired by Christie.
Barlyns letter to Lynch is the latest incident to raise questions about Fishmans independence from the governor.
read the rest here: http://www.ibtimes.com/chris-christie-administration-whistleblower-justice-department-bridgegate-prosecutor-1997095
Edit history
Please sign in to view edit histories.
155 replies
= new reply since forum marked as read
Highlight:
NoneDon't highlight anything
5 newestHighlight 5 most recent replies
RecommendedHighlight replies with 5 or more recommendations
I know what you mean.. There's been so much illegality in the christie admin and from christie
Cha
May 2015
#9
my first thought when I saw skinny Wildstein was "the people behind Christie radiation poisoned him"
Backwoodsrider
May 2015
#33
Also known as "Christie's Forty-Seven-Percent-Moment" (Good-natured jabs, my donkey)
rocktivity
May 2015
#50
Is Christie's publicly-financed self-exonerating Mastro report about to come back to haunt him?
rocktivity
Jun 2015
#56
You rock Laxman!!! While the non-memories of "Fitzmas" still hurt, I think this is different...
winstars
Jun 2015
#61
I have said all along, he will never get convicted of any crime. He seems to let others....
Logical
Jun 2015
#73
Christie's latest power failure: Another storm, another self-serving response
rocktivity
Jun 2015
#80
UPDATE: (Hillary Supporter) Jon Bon Jovi Says He Gave (Hillary Opponent) Christie Permission
rocktivity
Jun 2015
#85
Christie Confirms Bruce Is Still His Fave NJ Musician, Gets Ovation From Bruce's Fans
rocktivity
Aug 2015
#98
He's Being Funded By A Tabloid? That Explains Why He's Started Talking Like One
rocktivity
Aug 2015
#99
Didn't Christie just fantasize about beating a woman and then serving her with a subpoena?
rocktivity
Feb 2016
#138