BridgeTrolls: Investigations Slowly Moving Along

Like Richard Nixon in the year before his resignation, Christie continues his claim that the scandal is behind him and the bridge and road to the WH is wide open.

Scott Raab and Lisa Brennan at Esquire are hearing that there are some giant speed bumps in the way of the Christie-mobile: Exclusive: Prosecutor Is Closing In on Gov. Christie.

The speed of the US Attorney for New Jersey, Paul Fishman, investigation appears not to be that there is too little evidence of wrongdoing but too much.

…

“What’s taking the most time,” according to one source, “is separating what’s viable from all the bad stuff they’re finding that may not be viable.”

Fishman’s challenge is to nail down specific criminal charges on several fronts — the diversion of Port Authority money to fund New Jersey road and bridge projects; the four-day rush-hour closures of George Washington Bridge lanes in Ft. Lee; and a web of real-estate deals spun by David Samson, long a Christie crony, when he chaired the PA’s Board of Commissioners as Christie’s appointee. (One such deal, a stalled office-tower development in Hoboken, New Jersey, is central to a claim that Christie’s lieutenant governor told the town’s mayor that the state would withhold Hurricane Sandy relief aid from Hoboken if the mayor didn’t sign off on the development project.)
…

Fishman appears not to have cut any deals with those under investigation and not likely to do so to catch a minnow.

We shall see.

Will post updates and developments in the comments here as they surface in the coming days or weeks.

8 Comments

Marie2 on June 19, 2014 at 3:55 pm

April 2014: Time magazine names Scott Walker one of 100 most influential people of 2014

Today: Prosecutors accuse Scott Walker of running ‘criminal scheme’

Publicly Christie and Walker have been BFF. Which of the two will be the first to decline a call from the other?

Marie2 on June 19, 2014 at 4:06 pm

Wonder what sources Time consulted to put Walker the list. Tea leaves? Ouija boards? They didn’t commit the sin of doing journalism because it was practically impossible not to trip over this law suit — and smell a Walker turd.
Marie2 on June 19, 2014 at 9:43 pm

A New Republic article article on Walker, Milwaukee, and Wisconsin that’s worth reading: The Unelectable Whiteness of Scott Walker. It is another take on the Milwaukee area that Bill Moyers has been covering: Two American Families. Heartbreaking.
Marie2 on June 21, 2014 at 2:15 pm

The Bergen Record reporting Christie stands behind Wisconsin Gov. Walker after alleged campaign finance conspiracy.

Christie spoke at a campaign event Friday in New Hampshire where he was endorsing a gubernatorial candidate ahead of the GOP primary. Christie said that decision is about defeating the incumbent Democrat and not a potential presidential run in two years.
Christie said he spoke to Walker on Friday and plans to campaign with him this year, just as he did in 2010 and when Walker successfully fought off a recall effort in 2012.

“I have complete faith and confidence in Scott,” Christie said.
He added, “I believe he has great integrity.”

Expected response from the Chair of the National Republican Governor’s Assoc. I suppose. Or perhaps a bit of fear that if Walker can’t squelch the investigation that it could bleed into serious investigations for Republicans in other states.

Marie2 on June 19, 2014 at 4:39 pm

but should be:

Revel Casino Warns Employees of Possible Closure.

…
In warning letters given to employees and obtained by The Associated Press, Revel said it is seeking a buyer for the $2.4 billion casino but can’t guarantee one will be found. If not, employees could be terminated as soon as Aug. 18, Revel said in the letter.
…

From Bloomberg 2012 Chris Christie’s Failed State Capitalism

…
Christie’s other real estate venture, Revel Casino in Atlantic City, is already open — and early returns are not favorable. Like Xanadu, Revel is a project that was conceived of at a time when the real estate market was strong and that stopped mid-construction when money ran out. And as with Xanadu, New Jersey re-started Revel’s construction by agreeing to make a public investment in the project on favorable terms.

Technically, the state didn’t invest any money in Revel. Instead, it agreed to reimburse $261 million in sales, hotel and corporate taxes that Revel might collect over the next 20 years. In exchange, the state will get 20 percent of any profits received by Revel’s owners. This structure mimicks an equity investment without requiring the state to put up any cash.
…

If only Christie hadn’t uttered occupied territories in Adelson’s presence, Sheldon might have helped out on this one.

Don’t forget the voters of Jersey reelected the Failed State Capitalist guy in a landslide.

Marie2 on June 24, 2014 at 12:45 am

NYTimes 2nd Bridge Inquiry Said to Be Linked to Christie. Investigation by the Manhattan DA and SEC into the Port Authority NY/NJ funding/bond issue for the reconstruction of the Pulaski Skyway, a State of NJ road. Not sure how this one won’t lead to some indictments.

Marie2 on June 24, 2014 at 9:47 pm

From Matt Katz at WNYC David Samson is on the line

Tidbits:

During the week of Sept. 9, when the lanes were closed, there were a dozen calls between Samson and Baroni, the top New Jersey employee at the Port Authority. Even though Samson rarely spoke to Wildstein, 18 months of phone logs show their communication spiked between June and September. In addition, the logs show a half-dozen calls between Samson and O’Dowd or Egea. O’Dowd was the direct supervisor of Bridget Ann Kelly, author of the now infamous “time for some traffic problems in Fort Lee” email.

That spike in communications between Samson and Wildstein beginning last June would correspond with to the time that they had to begin planning this secret op which was before Kelly’s 8/13/14 infamous e-mail.

Interestingly, there are no records of any calls on any of Samson’s lines between Christie and Samson for all of 2012 and 2013, despite several proclamations during this period by the governor that he “spoke to the general.” Christie and Samson spent time together in November 2013 in Arizona for a meeting of the Republican Governors Association.

Those two had a secret Dixie-cup and string communication system.

Marie2 on June 26, 2014 at 3:07 pm

From the Guardian New Jersey grants $1.25bn in public funds to firms that back Republicans.

Corporations that contributed millions of dollars to the Chris Christie-led Republican Governors Association and other GOP campaigns have received public funding deals worth almost $1.25bn from his New Jersey administration in less than two years.

A review of the 30 biggest corporate subsidies awarded by the state of New Jersey since Christie appointed one of his closest allies as head of the state’s “bank for business” found that 21 went to ventures involving firms that made significant donations to Republicans, or had senior executives who did.
…

Surely, just a coincidence that big GOP donors made the best business deal offers to the state. Wanna buy a bridge?

Marie2 on June 19, 2014 at 3:55 pm

April 2014: Time magazine names Scott Walker one of 100 most influential people of 2014

Today: Prosecutors accuse Scott Walker of running ‘criminal scheme’

Publicly Christie and Walker have been BFF. Which of the two will be the first to decline a call from the other?
- Marie2 on June 19, 2014 at 4:06 pm
  
  Wonder what sources Time consulted to put Walker the list. Tea leaves? Ouija boards? They didn’t commit the sin of doing journalism because it was practically impossible not to trip over this law suit — and smell a Walker turd.
- Marie2 on June 19, 2014 at 9:43 pm
  
  A New Republic article article on Walker, Milwaukee, and Wisconsin that’s worth reading: The Unelectable Whiteness of Scott Walker. It is another take on the Milwaukee area that Bill Moyers has been covering: Two American Families. Heartbreaking.
- Marie2 on June 21, 2014 at 2:15 pm
  
  The Bergen Record reporting Christie stands behind Wisconsin Gov. Walker after alleged campaign finance conspiracy.
  
  Christie spoke at a campaign event Friday in New Hampshire where he was endorsing a gubernatorial candidate ahead of the GOP primary. Christie said that decision is about defeating the incumbent Democrat and not a potential presidential run in two years.
  Christie said he spoke to Walker on Friday and plans to campaign with him this year, just as he did in 2010 and when Walker successfully fought off a recall effort in 2012.
  
  “I have complete faith and confidence in Scott,” Christie said.
  He added, “I believe he has great integrity.”
  
  Expected response from the Chair of the National Republican Governor’s Assoc. I suppose. Or perhaps a bit of fear that if Walker can’t squelch the investigation that it could bleed into serious investigations for Republicans in other states.
Marie2 on June 19, 2014 at 4:39 pm

but should be:

Revel Casino Warns Employees of Possible Closure.

…
In warning letters given to employees and obtained by The Associated Press, Revel said it is seeking a buyer for the $2.4 billion casino but can’t guarantee one will be found. If not, employees could be terminated as soon as Aug. 18, Revel said in the letter.
…

From Bloomberg 2012 Chris Christie’s Failed State Capitalism

…
Christie’s other real estate venture, Revel Casino in Atlantic City, is already open — and early returns are not favorable. Like Xanadu, Revel is a project that was conceived of at a time when the real estate market was strong and that stopped mid-construction when money ran out. And as with Xanadu, New Jersey re-started Revel’s construction by agreeing to make a public investment in the project on favorable terms.

Technically, the state didn’t invest any money in Revel. Instead, it agreed to reimburse $261 million in sales, hotel and corporate taxes that Revel might collect over the next 20 years. In exchange, the state will get 20 percent of any profits received by Revel’s owners. This structure mimicks an equity investment without requiring the state to put up any cash.
…

If only Christie hadn’t uttered occupied territories in Adelson’s presence, Sheldon might have helped out on this one.

Don’t forget the voters of Jersey reelected the Failed State Capitalist guy in a landslide.
Marie2 on June 24, 2014 at 12:45 am

NYTimes 2nd Bridge Inquiry Said to Be Linked to Christie. Investigation by the Manhattan DA and SEC into the Port Authority NY/NJ funding/bond issue for the reconstruction of the Pulaski Skyway, a State of NJ road. Not sure how this one won’t lead to some indictments.
Marie2 on June 24, 2014 at 9:47 pm

From Matt Katz at WNYC David Samson is on the line

Tidbits:

During the week of Sept. 9, when the lanes were closed, there were a dozen calls between Samson and Baroni, the top New Jersey employee at the Port Authority. Even though Samson rarely spoke to Wildstein, 18 months of phone logs show their communication spiked between June and September. In addition, the logs show a half-dozen calls between Samson and O’Dowd or Egea. O’Dowd was the direct supervisor of Bridget Ann Kelly, author of the now infamous “time for some traffic problems in Fort Lee” email.

That spike in communications between Samson and Wildstein beginning last June would correspond with to the time that they had to begin planning this secret op which was before Kelly’s 8/13/14 infamous e-mail.

Interestingly, there are no records of any calls on any of Samson’s lines between Christie and Samson for all of 2012 and 2013, despite several proclamations during this period by the governor that he “spoke to the general.” Christie and Samson spent time together in November 2013 in Arizona for a meeting of the Republican Governors Association.

Those two had a secret Dixie-cup and string communication system.
Marie2 on June 26, 2014 at 3:07 pm

From the Guardian New Jersey grants $1.25bn in public funds to firms that back Republicans.

Corporations that contributed millions of dollars to the Chris Christie-led Republican Governors Association and other GOP campaigns have received public funding deals worth almost $1.25bn from his New Jersey administration in less than two years.

A review of the 30 biggest corporate subsidies awarded by the state of New Jersey since Christie appointed one of his closest allies as head of the state’s “bank for business” found that 21 went to ventures involving firms that made significant donations to Republicans, or had senior executives who did.
…

Surely, just a coincidence that big GOP donors made the best business deal offers to the state. Wanna buy a bridge?

BridgeTrolls: Investigations Slowly Moving Along

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