User:Djflem/Christie controversies

Gibson Dunn/Mastro
http://www.northjersey.com/news/christie-law-firm-in-gwb-probe-fighting-subpoena-for-computer-data-1.1397666 http://www.northjersey.com/news/gwb-case-defendants-can-subpoena-christie-office-docs-says-judge-1.1506821 http://www.northjersey.com/news/feds-say-co-conspirator-list-in-gwb-case-should-not-be-made-public-before-trial-1.1513178 co-conspirators http://www.nj.com/news/index.ssf/2016/02/port_authority_filing_asks_to_keep_bridgegate_mate.html http://www.nj.com/news/index.ssf/2016/02/feds_fight_news_media_request_to_unseal_bridgegate.html#incart_river_home_pop http://www.nj.com/politics/index.ssf/2016/03/legislators_say_state_was_overcharged_28m_in_bridg.html#incart_river_home_pop irregularities in billing http://www.nj.com/opinion/index.ssf/2016/03/end_the_bridgegate_legal_rip-off_now_editorial.html#incart_2box_nj-homepage-featured

Diversion of environmental lawsuit settlement monies to general fund
In 2004, the State of New Jersey brought a lawsuit against ExxonMobil for cleanup and removal costs, including natural resource damages, at the Bayway Refinery site in Linden and the Exxon Bayonne site on Constable Hook in Bayonne. On May 26, 2006, Judge Anzaldi of the New Jersey Superior Court ruled that Exxon was liable for restoration of the natural resources impacted by discharges of hazardous pollutants.

http://raymondlesniak.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/03/Expert-Report-Lipton-Stratus-November-3-2006.pdf

lawyers fees http://www.nj.com/news/index.ssf/2015/03/20_percent_of_exxon_settlement_will_pay_for_lawyer.html#incart_related_stories

http://www.northjersey.com/news/firm-owed-money-by-christie-campaign-for-work-on-gwb-scandal-investigations-paid-2-3m-by-n-j-1.1515352

2014 budgt change

 * http://www.nj.com/news/index.ssf/2014/04/change_in_nj_budget_could_divert_environmental_cleanup_money_to_states_general_fund.html
 * http://product-liability.weil.com/legislation/proposed-2015-budget-in-new-jersey-raises-public-policy-questions-about-environmental-cleanup-settlement-funds/
 * http://insideepa.com/sites/insideepa.com/files/documents/current_issue/superfund_current.pdf

ExxonMobil
http://www.nytimes.com/2015/02/28/nyregion/exxon-mobil-settles-with-new-jersey-over-environmental-damage.html

http://www.northjersey.com/news/environment/bill-seeks-return-of-passaic-river-funds-1.1285638 State Senate bill

http://www.app.com/story/opinion/editorials/2015/03/02/editorial-exxonmobil-settlementmust-blocked/24278501/ APP

In the past, all such money went into the Hazardous Discharge Site Cleanup Fund. In the current budget, Christie added language allowing any money over $50 million to be used as general state revenue. He vetoed lawmakers' attempt to split the amount over $50 million between cleanup and general costs. http://www.app.com/story/news/politics/new-jersey/2015/03/12/christie-exxon-settlement-budget-language/70213618/

http://www.nj.com/opinion/index.ssf/2015/03/the_christie-exxon_relationship_is_a_toxic_for_the.html#incart_river

taxwrite off

Occiental
http://www.northjersey.com/news/190m-settlement-in-pollution-suit-would-end-decade-long-legal-fight-over-passaic-river-1.1088416 $190M settlement in pollution suit would end decade-long legal fight over Passaic River

SEPTEMBER 15, 2014 BY SCOTT FALLON

http://www.dredgingtoday.com/2014/12/18/final-settlement-in-passaic-river-litigation/

http://www.ibtimes.com/chris-christie-backed-law-lets-him-divert-exxonmobil-settlement-environmental-cleanup-1831558 environmetnal record http://www.northjersey.com/news/new-pollution-lawsuits-are-rare-under-christie-focus-is-on-settling-old-cases-for-cash-1.1302666 filing

Depictions
http://www.nj.com/politics/index.ssf/2015/03/christie_takes_new_step_toward_presidential_bid_fo.html#incart_river

Travel and gifts
By KATE ZERNIKE and MICHAEL BARBAROFEB. 2, 2015

As the Times noted in February, and as everyone knows. Chris Christie Shows Fondness for Luxury Benefits When Others Pay the Bill http://www.nytimes.com/2015/02/03/nyregion/in-christies-career-a-fondness-forluxe-benefits-when-others-pay-the-bills.html?_r=0

Mowers

http://www.nj.com/politics/index.ssf/2015/03/christie_helicopter_travel.html#incart_2box_nj-homepage-featured


 * New Jersey State Police Aviation Unit

http://www.njspotlight.com/stories/14/01/20/samson-embroiled-in-second-set-of-christie-administration-scandal-allegations/?p=1

http://www.northjersey.com/news/opening-up-to-scout-may-hurt-christie-s-case-against-release-of-security-costs-1.1346878

Sunshine laws
http://www.nj.com/opinion/index.ssf/2015/03/editorial_opra_is_not_working_the_way_the_legislat.html#incart_river http://www.nj.gov/grc/act.html

The Open Public Records Act, P.L. 2001, c. 404, adopted in 2002 and commonly abbreviated OPRA, is the statute guaranteeing and providing process for freedom of information with respect to public records. It states that "government records shall be readily accessible for inspection, copying, or examination by the citizens of this State, with certain exceptions, for the protection of the public interest." Freedom of information in the United States\Freedom of information

http://www.motherjones.com/politics/2015/02/chris-christie-transparency-records-requests http://www.nj.com/opinion/index.ssf/2014/10/post_79.html#incart_related_stories http://www.njlawjournal.com/id=1202665304768/Lawyers-Say-Christie-Administration-Stonewalling-Records-Requests?slreturn=20140731025231 http://watchdog.org/165534/christie-blacklists-watchdog/

http://www.nytimes.com/2014/10/27/opinion/chris-christies-battle-against-transparency.html

http://planetprinceton.com/2014/03/24/new-jersey-governors-office-refuses-to-provide-journalist-with-public-records-requests/

http://www.nj.com/politics/index.ssf/2014/07/christie_improperly_denied_nj_records_requests_related_to_bridge_scandal_judge_rules.html Open Public Records Act http://www.nj.com/opinion/index.ssf/2014/08/christie_administration_spending_big_to_keep_documents_in_the_dark_editorial.html#incart_m-rpt-1

http://www.usatoday.com/story/news/politics/2013/12/08/christie-public-records-access/3906285/

http://www.njlawjournal.com/id=1202665304768/Lawyers-Say-Christie-Administration-Stonewalling-Records-Requests?slreturn=20140713031854

http://www.cjr.org/behind_the_news/the_record_christies_administr.php

Ecemonic development tax breaks http://www.theguardian.com/world/2014/jun/26/new-jersey-corporate-subsidies http://www.nj.com/politics/index.ssf/2014/06/bill_to_further_expand_nj_corporate_tax_break_programs_heads_to_christies_desk.html http://www.northjersey.com/news/christie-fighting-public-records-requests-1.1066408?page=all

http://www.njspotlight.com/stories/14/07/21/sweeney-calls-sandy-monitoring-reports-almost-a-whitewash/

Sany integrity reports http://www.nj.com/politics/index.ssf/2015/03/public_records_not_always_easy_to_access_in_new_je.html#incart_river

400,00 sin3 2012

http://www.northjersey.com/news/christie-s-trips-come-at-a-cost-security-reached-1-2m-last-year-1.1307283 travel costs

pension funds http://www.salon.com/2015/05/08/chris_christies_fresh_humiliation_the_scandal_that_could_finally_put_the_kibosh_on_his_presidential_hopes_partner/

tax incentives
http://news.yahoo.com/nj-gov-christies-tax-breaks-071803965.html

a 53 percent toll hike on the Turnpike and 50 percent increase on the Parkway.

bully
http://www.theatlantic.com/politics/archive/2014/02/a-tale-of-two-bullies-why-chris-christie-is-no-lyndon-johnson/283551/ http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/wonkblog/wp/2014/01/08/chris-christies-problem-is-that-hes-really-truly-a-bully/ http://www.nytimes.com/2013/12/25/nyregion/accounts-of-petty-retribution-reinforce-christies-bullying-image.html?_r=0 http://time.com/260/apologetic-chris-christie-on-bridge-flap-i-am-not-a-bully/ http://www.nj.com/politics/index.ssf/2014/01/chris_christies_perception_as_a_bully_increases_amid_bridge_scandal_poll_shows.html http://blog.nj.com/njv_editorial_page/2012/07/gov_chris_christies_bully_act.html http://www.nj.com/politics/index.ssf/2013/10/christie_is_a_fighter_not_a_bully_new_poll_shows.html http://www.businessinsider.com/lets-stop-the-handwringing-about-chris-christie-being-a-bully-2013-11 http://news.yahoo.com/christie-bully-look-nj-gov-39-remarks-230652661.html greenhouse http://www.nj.com/politics/index.ssf/2014/03/christie_administration_broke_law_in_ignoring_greenhouse_gas_rules_court_says.html
 * http://www.nj.com/politics/index.ssf/2015/04/christie_town_hall.html#incart_2box_nj-homepage-featured not changing his style
 * http://www.northjersey.com/news/christie-plays-to-welcoming-crowd-at-town-hall-style-event-1.1304290 sometimes he just wants to

guns
http://www.njspotlight.com/stories/13/08/09/christie-signs-extensive-package-of-gun-control-bills-into-law/ http://www.nj.com/politics/index.ssf/2015/08/christie_vetoes_gun_bill.html#incart_2box_nj-homepage-featured

town hall meetings
http://www.nj.com/news/index.ssf/2011/09/gov_chris_christie_targets_fri.html

Credit rating
http://www.northjersey.com/news/another-ratings-agency-drops-new-jersey-s-credit-outlook-to-negative-1.748156

http://www.nj.com/politics/index.ssf/2014/06/christies_pension_plan_could_trigger_another_downgrade_sp_warns.html#incart_flyout_politics 2014

2012 budget
http://www.state.nj.us/treasury/omb/publications/12bib/BIB.pdf http://www.nj.com/news/index.ssf/2012/06/gov_chris_christie_vetoes_budg.html

projections pusomg for tax cut based on higher projections

millionaires tax and gas tax
http://www.northjersey.com/news/analysis-n-j-gas-tax-still-taboo-1.705830

e-cigerette http://www.nj.com/politics/index.ssf/2014/03/christies_nj_e-cigarette_tax_is_hot_topic_at_first_budget_hearing.html

revenue projections
http://www.nj.com/politics/index.ssf/2014/08/nj_revenue_forecasts_shouldnt_be_left_to_christie_alone_experts_say.html#incart_river budgets http://www.nj.com/politics/index.ssf/2013/05/christies_dr_kevorkian_was_dea.html http://www.nj.com/news/index.ssf/2012/05/the_latest_victim_of_christies.html http://online.wsj.com/news/articles/SB10001424052702303978304579475723871242250 http://www.northjersey.com/news/christie-can-t-cut-pension-payment-in-coming-fiscal-year-opinion-says-1.1030695

http://www.nj.com/opinion/index.ssf/2014/06/teachers_union_christie_meets_pension_requirement_or_we_sue_opinion.html#incart_m-rpt-1 teachers union to sue http://www.nj.com/politics/index.ssf/2014/06/five_more_unions_sue_christie_over_pension_plan.html more lawsuits

New Jersey’s pension system, on the other hand, would get a two-year cash infusion of $3.8 billion instead of the $1.38 billion Christie is proposing. The retirement system is nearly $50 billion underwater, and the more money that goes into it every year, the quicker it can regain its financial footing.

Christie’s spokesman, Michael Drewniak, declined to take questions about the case or about ongoing negotiations with the Democratic-controlled Legislature. "We will address the claims in court as necessary," he said Thursday.

Through their unions, the troopers are challenging an executive order signed by Christie last month that would take nearly $900 million designated for the pension system this fiscal year and use it to plug an unexpected shortfall in the state budget that came to light in April.

The move is illegal under a pension overhaul Christie himself signed into law in 2010, the troopers argue, and it would violate a section of the state constitution that says "the Legislature shall not pass any bill ... impairing the obligation of contracts."

"The Legislature in this case has rejected this type of subterfuge accounting," the troopers state in their lawsuit. "It has set the line in the sand for the amount which it has determined is necessary to appropriately and responsibly fund the pension system."

"Let them go to court and we’ll see what happens." Christie is also asking lawmakers to approve his plan to reduce pension payments by $1.5 billion for the fiscal year that begins July 1. The State Police unions are asking Jacobson to compel Christie to make bigger pension payments every year until 2018, as required by the same state law Christie signed in 2010.

http://www.nj.com/politics/index.ssf/2014/06/showdown_in_the_courts_state_police_troopers_challenge_christies_pension_cuts.html#incart_hbx#incart_best-of

http://www.nytimes.com/2014/05/24/nyregion/christies-budget-woes-may-hurt-more-than-scandal.html?_r=0

http://www.northjersey.com/news/christie-s-proposed-pension-cut-challenged-in-court-1.1030016

http://www.nj.com/politics/index.ssf/2014/06/nj_senate_rejects_christies_pension_plan_as_sweeney_rolls_out_competing_budget.html Sweeney proposal

http://www.nj.com/politics/index.ssf/2014/06/christie_signs_325_billion_budget_axes_several_tax_hikes_floated_by_democrats.html

COAH
In a landmark lawsuit, Mount Laurel in Burlington County, the zoning was not particularly restrictive.

This was designed to carry out the court’s stated goal: "to channel the entire prospective lower income housing need in New Jersey into ‘growth areas.’ "

The Council on Affordable Housing was charged with that task. But the environmentalists had succeeded in having huge areas of the state put off-limits to growth. That meant COAH had to cram the housing into suburbs already overwhelmed by growth that stressed schools, highways and other infrastructure.

By 2009 suburbanites were fed up. In his campaign for governor that year, Christie got great support in the suburbs with his promise to "gut COAH." When he took office the following year, he followed through on his promise to disband the agency.

That put him on a collision course with the court, which revived COAH and ordered it to come up with new regulations. Those regulations were released Wednesday — all 85 pages’ worth of bureaucratic jargon.

Transportation Trust Fundf
http://www.nj.com/politics/index.ssf/2014/04/christies_borrowing_binge_makes_transportation_trust_fund_run_dry.html

Office of Intergovernmnetal Affairs
http://www.nydailynews.com/news/politics/chris-christie-hunger-power-revealed-new-book-article-1.2499225

Emails and text messages among the thousands of pages of documents in the appendixes to the report provided at least five examples of state employees who sought campaign endorsements from the same public officials they worked with in their taxpayer-funded jobs. Those employees served as liaisons to the local officials, helping them navigate state government in everything from addressing potholes on state highways to setting up meetings with various departments.

The Office of Intergovernmnetal Affairs was led by led by Bill Stepien, a two-time campaign manager for Christie and former deputy chief of staff, and later by Bridget Anne Kelly. The office kept track of mayors of New Jersey's municipalities who were rated as being sympathetic to the governor or not.

A report commissioned by the governor and produced by Gibson, Dunn & Crutcher and released in April 2014 showed that members of Christie's staff were also working in his re-election campaign and were privy to certain information only because of their government jobs. It indicates that special attention was given to those mayors who were being solicited for support or endorsements whereas others were ignored. Mastro said: “As reflected in the report and its exhibits, staff who volunteered for the campaign were told to do so on their personal time.There is no ethical or other prohibition against such volunteer work.”

The staff Office of Legislative and Governmental Affairs during off hours would discuss political endorsements with the same mayors they spoke with during government business hours. There was a list of key towns, the use personal email accounts for political activity and an understanding not to reach out to those mayors who did not favour the governor.

The office was dismantled in April.

http://www.northjersey.com/news/gwb-probe-ex-christie-staffer-renna-tells-of-ties-between-politics-government-1.1009802?page=all

http://www.nytimes.com/2014/05/07/nyregion/ex-christie-staff-member-testifying-in-bridge-inquiry-defends-office.html?hpw&rref=nyregion

Assemblyman John Wisniewski, co-chairman of the committee, said Renna would also be asked about remarks she made to a team of attorneys Christie hired to lead an internal investigation into his office's involvement in the lane closures. The attorneys from Gibson, Dunn & Crutcher released summaries of the 75 interviews last month at the request of the legislative panel.

Renna told the internal investigators that her office would receive "mandatory directives" of mayors they should not call or check in with. She said she did not know of an instance where it rose to the level of lane closures, but said not returning calls "was enough to send a message to the local elected official."

She said intergovernmental affairs staff volunteered at Christie's campaign headquarters in Bridgewater on Wednesdays and participated in weekend calls with campaign staff. Fort Lee Mayor Mark Sokolich was one of the Democrats targeted for an endorsement, but his name was removed from the list last April after it became clear he wouldn't support the governor, Renna told the investigators.

http://online.wsj.com/news/articles/SB10001424052702303626804579508054280687232

An anaylsis of internal documents reviewed by the law firm Randy Mastro, reveal that lines between the governmental work and the political work done members of the staff either as employee to as a volunteers to Christie's campaign were greater blurred. The report recommended the disbading of the of office.

The governor's office also said today it is eliminating the Office of Legislative and Intergovernmental Affairs, which has come under increasing scrutiny after the internal review showed its work was closely entwined with the governor's political operation.

Summaries of interviews conducted as part of the report and released this week showed staffers in the office were directed to brush off mayors across New Jersey who were not perceived as friendly to the governor and his administration.

The office, which acted as a liaison with state legislators and elected officials, will be replaced by an expanded Office of Community and Constituent Relations. Christie's office also said the governor will pursue a requirement that government officials promptly report acts of official misconduct to law enforcement authorities. On April 17, Christie enacted two recommendations of the Mastro report. He eliminated the Office of Legislative and Intergovernmental Affairs, which had been headed by Bridget Kelly. He named Patrick E. Hobbs, dean of Seton Hall University School of Law, Christie's alma mater, as a part-time ombudsman to address complaints about misconduct, enhance ethics training and accountability, and improve electronic communications in the governor's office. Hobbs will retain his Seton Hall post. 

Books
The book "Ruthless Ambition: The Rise and Fall of Chris Christie" authored by was Manzo released in April 2014. http://www.nj.com/politics/index.ssf/2014/04/rendell_christie_not_a_factor_in_2016_presidential_race.html#incart_river_default

A biography of Christie written by former Philadelphia Inquirer reporter Matt Katz will be published in spring 2015 by Threshold Editions, a conservative imprint of Simon & Schuster. http://www.csmonitor.com/Books/chapter-and-verse/2014/0210/Chris-Christie-will-be-the-subject-of-a-new-biography-video

“Double Down: Game Change 2012” by Mark Halperin and John

http://www.rpa.org/spotlight/arc-to-raise-home-values-by-18-billion-rpa-study-predicts ARC house prices

http://www.nytimes.com/2014/03/11/nyregion/even-before-fort-lee-lane-closings-port-authority-was-a-christie-tool.html PA gifts WTC pieces

http://archive.app.com/article/20140506/NJCOLUMNIST25/305060043/Christina-Renna-George-Washington-Bridge

http://www.nj.com/opinion/index.ssf/2016/06/christie_says_office_he_shut_down_after_bridgegate.html#incart_most-comments

Port Authority of New York and New Jersey 2011 toll increase
ordered not to tesifly; subpoena power

Similarly, Christie administration officials, particularly members of the governor’s office, routinely refuse invitations from legislative committees to testify. Assemblyman John Wisniewski, chairman of the Assembly Transportation Committee, was just the latest legislative leader to voice frustration yesterday after New Jersey Transit officials failed to show up to answer questions about the February 2 Super Bowl snafu, saying they were waiting for completion of their internal investigation.

Ironically, it was the refusal of administration officials to testify on the 2011 Port Authority toll hikes that led the Assembly to give Wisniewski’s transportation committee subpoena power, which led directly to the uncovering of the email by Kelly, Christie’s deputy chief of staff, ordering the Bridgegate lane closures and engulfed the Christie administration in a series of scandals that has made national news for the past two months.

GAO report
http://www.northjersey.com/news/port-authority-unfairly-fast-tracked-toll-hikes-report-says-1.605422

ARC
http://www.rpa.org/spotlight/arc-to-raise-home-values-by-18-billion-rpa-study-predicts http://www.bloomberg.com/news/2014-04-17/christie-rail-kill-misses-lowest-rates-as-n-j-lags-u-s-.html

March 2012: The announcement of the joint hearing came on the same day that Christie criticized Wisnieswki for asking the Assembly to grant his committee subpoena power over the Port Authority. "The subpoena power thing is just a political thing, and I hope they don’t do it because it raises the stakes," said Christie, a former U.S. Attorney for New Jersey. "If they have information that they want from the Port Authority, they should ask for it," he added. "If for some reason that information hasn’t been forthcoming, they should come to the administration and ask us." Wisniewski said he felt compelled to call a joint hearing because he had never been stonewalled by the Port Authority the way he has under Christie.

http://www.nj.com/news/index.ssf/2012/03/nj_ny_lawmakers_to_hold_joint.html