Mayor Zimmer has been asked by US attorney to cease media interviews

[Gothmog]

The US attorney has asked Mayor Zimmer to cease media interviews. http://www.nj.com/hudson/index.ssf/2014/01/after_national_media_appearances_zimmer_says_her_lips_are_sealed.html

This is after one appearance on MSNBC last Saturday, when she first aired her claims, and two on CNN, the last one on Monday night. She declined to speak to Fox News.

But her lips are sealed from now on, Zimmer, a Democrat, said in a statement she issued this morning.

"The U.S. Attorney's Office has asked that we not conduct additional media interviews and we are respecting their request,” the statement reads. “I stand by my previous statements and remain willing to testify under oath about all of the facts in this case."

U.S. Attorney’s Office spokeswoman Rebekah Carmichael said her office doesn't publicly discuss whether or not it has had specific meetings or conversations.

This request for a gag order tells me that that US attorney is seriously investigating this issue. You do not want your star witness out giving media interviews that can be used against that witness at trial.

[hrmjustin]

1. I hope it means they really are taking this seriously.

[modrepub]

3. You don't want a federal prosecutor after you

they don't like to loose and their reputations generally proceed them. Had a state attorney tell us that if the feds are on the case you are in serious trouble and his advice was to seek a settlement. If something happened and the US attorney's decide to move forward then that alone implies to me that the Governor is in serious doodie (a fact he should know from his experience as a federal prosecutor). For the Mayor's sake, I hope she has good evidence or she may be in trouble for her accusations.

The wheels of justice grind slowly along....

[hrmjustin]

5. Good points.

[Gothmog]

8. The NJ legislative super committee is leaving this issue alone for now

The NJ committee is not going to look at thh Hoboken story for now http://www.nj.com/politics/index.ssf/2014/01/committee_probing_bridge_scandal_wont_immediately_look_into_hoboken_sandy_aid.html

Assemblyman John Wisniewski (D-Middlesex), the joint committee’s co-chair, said it was too soon to say if the panel will widen its probe to include recent claims by Hoboken Mayor Dawn Zimmer that members of the administration tried to strong-arm her into approving a development project favored by the governor....

Wisniewski, the co-chair of the legislative committee, said it would be "premature" for the panel to look into Zimmer’s claim while it is still at the starting point of its probe into September’s lane closures leading to George Washington Bridge.

"Clearly she raises serious allegations," Wisniewski said. "There are a lot of facts swirling about in terms of who said what when. The first order of business for this committee is to follow the information we have to date, which is somebody in the governor’s office abusing power, and we see an attempt to cover up that abuse of power.

That announcements tells me that the US attorney is investigating this issue and the NJ super-committee does not want to get in the way of this investigation

[bettyellen]

9. she takes meticulous notes. they aren't going to be able to impugn her testimony or smear her

character. Nope. I am thrilled she is part of the take down.

[grantcart]

33. All true

It also means that they tend to only prosecute cases with a known outcome which isn't looking good for McDonnell.

It does mean that they don't take risks on the level of charges (Scooter Libby) and some marginal prosecutions get a pass (Karl Rove).

[herding cats]

6. I think they are.

They just are trying to keep things close to their chests until they know who knows what.

[pacalo]

2. Poor Fox News readers. They'll just have to continue relying on their comedy writers

to get their spin out -- not that they would've actually have let Zimmer speak fluently if she had been their "guest".

[bettyellen]

10. she knew better than to walk into that den of liars!

[pacalo]

12. For sure -- I wish all Democrats would do the same.

[herding cats]

4. This is for the best

I understand Zimmer's need to let people know the matter is being investigated. Still she can't constantly give us a all the details she knows, such as in the interview last night after the US Attorney had been there conducting the investigation. These things take time and it's best if not everyone knows who they're talking to right now.

Link to her interview last night below.

Mayor Dawn Zimmer told The Star-Ledger this evening that members of the office, whom she met with on Sunday to discuss her claims, interviewed numerous people in the city.

“They were talking to people in Hoboken today,” she said. “They were definitely talking to be people today.”

She also did not say who was interviewed, or how she learned of the new development.

Zimmer said tonight that she told numerous people — including Chief of Staff Daniel Bryan — about her allegations prior to making them public on Saturday.

http://www.nj.com/politics/index.ssf/2014/01/us_attorneys_office_hoboken_christie_sandy_aid.html

[Cha]

7. Me as a layperson got that

feeling just now. That this is a good thing. Makes total sense.

Thanks Gothmog

[Botany]

11. You don't want to taint potential jurors

I am not a lawyer put I play one on DU.

[Gothmog]

14. It is more about not having several different statements to defend

Each time Mayor Zimmer tells the story, there may be minor changes or details added or omitted. This happens as a matter of course and it is very difficult to tell the same story exactly the same way more than once. This is especially a problem if there is an aggressive interviewer (i.e, a Lawrence O'Donnell type) who pushes on any variation in the details. The variations in these stories can be used to impeach her at trial. Most attorneys want their clients to avoid to giving interviews or making statements to the press to avoid a chance that something could be used to impeach their client.

[Cha]

15. Fun!

[Babel_17]

13. Two people at risk means they can be played off against each other

Two people made the offer to Zimmer so an aggressive US attorney might dangle immunity to either of them. Ha, just knowing that the attorney will be speaking to both will make each ponder their "Prisoner's dilemma".

Yes, unless they both consulted on the situation, than just having a confession from one wouldn't be proof of guilt of the other. But if the US attorney was going big then it could be leverage as, imo, such a confession might have everyone around the Christie administration, who was corrupt, thinking they'd lost the public's confidence and now must cut a deal.

IANAL, such a tactic might be unethical/illegal.

[BlueStreak]

35. Right. The prosecutiors want to preserve the element of surprise or uncertainly

If all the evidence is put out in the media, that gives Christie's outlaws a chance to coordinate stories and circle the wagons.

At this stage of the investigation, the prosecutor will start working up from the bottom, picking off people who will give useful testimony in exchange for lenient treatment from the prosecution. For this to work, the prosecutors need to keep the thugs guessing a little. Christie's gang knows that they will all end up in prison if the prosecutor can prove the things that Ghristie's gang knows are out there. They know there are felonies just waiting to be prosecuted. You want them to have to wonder just how much evidence and how much cooperation the prosecutors have lined up.

There will be an element of bluffing. And they will foment suspicious among the Christie gang until some of them crack under the pressure.

You don't want to be the last one to offer state's evidence, because they will probably let you take that to prison if they already have enough to nail you.

The parallels with the mafia are inescapable here.

[Mr.Bill]

16. Now that she can't talk to the media, watch the smear campaign against her.

It will be epic. The Foxboys are going to make the most of this.

[cui bono]

17. I wish she had never gone public. She could have worn a wire and helped nab those thugs.

That would've been so much better.

[itsrobert]

18. After Bridgegate

You don't think they would be more guarded for that?

[cui bono]

36. Not much considering how sloppy they were with all the emails. n/t

[rustbeltvoice]

21. So very often, if a thing is not made public, it will be buried.

[obxhead]

19. Hope this means serious charges with serious consequences are in the works.

I want this tried in court, not the media.

[gordianot]

20. They do seem to be holding funds from an area that had serious storm damage " fact".

This may just move more quickly than anyone suspects.

[Coyotl]

22. This means current level of evidence/knowledge indicates matter may go to indictment.

In other words, the situation has risen to the level of known criminal conduct. Well, we here at DU knew that was happening.

[Stuart G]

23. It will be fun to see who is indicted.

I wonder when, not who.

[George II]

25. It will be months, I'm sure

[George II]

24. Makes sense - don't want to give them an excuse to appeal or have any charges dismissed

[Sienna86]

26. It may not be a gag order.

The US attorney, I'm guessing, wants to minimize issues of the defense using her televised statements to impeach testimony on cross.

[Gothmog]

27. I do not think that it is a formal gag order

Normally only a judge can issue a formal gag order. This appears to the normal instruction that any attorney would give to a key witness. Lawyers hate iit when their clients talk to the press

[Gothmog]

28. According to Rachel Maddow, the FBI is interviewing witnesses

Remember that it is a crime to lie to an FBI agent http://www.msnbc.com/rachel-maddow-show/christie-admin-scandal-draws-fbi-scrutiny

[2banon]

29. I think it's too late. Damage is done.

She shouldn't have gone to the media in the first place, imo.

I hope that the U.S.Atty's office has substantially more than what Zimmer has revealed so far.

On the other hand, even if they did, we won't see much in the way of damage done to Christie. So he doesn't run for Prez.. big deal. He'll still be safe and sound in whatever other desirous position he wishes have. Count on it.

We would all do well to keep memories of Plame-gate and Fitz-Christmas in mind.

[loudsue]

30. So true. The game is definitely rigged in favor of the powerful criminals, and against

the small-time criminals.

[2banon]

34. I'd be completely stunned if Christie doesn't walk away smelling like a rose..

no matter what is ultimately found by the feds or even go forward with prosecution for that matter. At the end of the day, who is going to actually do jail time for this?

[Babel_17]

38. But on the other hand

It's not like the whole of the Christie administration and their associates are skilled/experienced at fending off a US Attorney. Zimmer might have caused a little panic and panicked people tend to do stupid things.

Also, Zimmer going public might cause people who are on the fence in the Christie administration, they know things but weren't involved, to be disgusted with this mess and thus more prone to leaking or talking.

It might be the case that the pot needed to be stirred.

Your point about Plame-gate is painful but spot-on, imo. Going deep into government to force accountability has always been problematic.

[2banon]

39. good points. xing fingers justice prevails in this case.

I think that whole business with Plame-Gate and the premature "Fitz-Christmas" Jubilee really tainted my perspective. The disappointment was monumental, my heart sank into a deep abyss. It was so depressing and demoralizing.

I see the excitement on Du wrt to this Christie thing, and I want to say: we've seen this movie before and it doesn't end well for the good guys.

[DallasNE]

31. It Has To Do With The Integrity Of The Investigation

They also don't want the various witnesses talking to one another about this issue because that could contaminate the testimony and maintaining the integrity is of the upmost importance. The speed with which there are moving strongly suggests that the preliminary findings are pretty strong against the targets. The defense, on the other hand, are not gagged so expect them to hammer at how 'illogical' this whole case is as they see planting this seed of doubt as key to their defense.

[Gothmog]

32. Good Explanation

If possible, an attorney only wants to hear his witness testify or discuss the case in court or in a deposition after the witness has been woodshedded and is ready to testify. The last thing that the US Attorney wants to see is Mayor Zimmer being beat up on Fox News with questions provided by the Christie legal team.

The US Attorney and the FBI are moving fast on this case which means that Mayor Zimmer was deemed credible in her interviews with the US attorney

[MynameisBlarney]

37. Christie's is toast.

And he'll likely go to prison.