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Related: Editorials & Other Articles, Issue Forums, Alliance Forums, Region ForumsFort Lee Mayor Now Says Team Christie Wooed Him With Favors And A Meal
Fort Lee Mayor Mark Sokolich told the Bergen Record Thursday that Gov. Chris Christie (R) made an extensive push to get his endorsement including lunch at the governor's mansion and favors from officials at the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey.
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Sokolich told the newspaper he had lunch with Christie at the governor's residence, Drumthwacket, along with Hoboken, N.J. Mayor Dawn Zimmer. In January, Zimmer accused the Christie administration of threatening to withhold Hurricane Sandy aid from her city unless she approved a real estate project. He also said officials at the Port Authority, which oversees the bridge, lavished Fort Lee with attention prior to the closures including providing pothole repair and shuttle bus service.
According to Sokolich, his main contact at the Port Authority was the agency's former deputy executive director, Bill Baroni, a Christie appointee who resigned in December as questions about the closures mounted.
Sokolich also said his cousins from Croatia were given a tour of the 9/11 Memorial Plaza by David Wildstein, the Port Authority's director of interstate capital projects. Wildstein also resigned in December and documents subpoenaed by a committee investigating the lane closures indicate he was involved in discussions about shutting the lanes with a top aide in Christie's office.
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http://talkingpointsmemo.com/livewire/sokolich-christie-favors-lunch
Gov. #Christie never met Mayor Sokolich? This photo says otherwise. Mayor is far left.
http://www.democraticunderground.com/10024304922
malaise
(267,797 posts)He sure wasn't off their radar
malaise
(267,797 posts)Notice they're trying to distance him from the attacks on Wildstein -Wildstein knows that Christie will be exposed.
"Christie is up shit creek without a paddle"
...Weekend at Christie's
http://www.democraticunderground.com/10024462549
Or is it Dead Man Walking?
malaise
(267,797 posts)warrior1
(12,325 posts)He said. "I don't recall a specific request to endorse but The events that led up to all this you can interpret to be somehow attracting me to endorse. I didn't want to endorse The least of which I'm a Democrat."
I think what are you saying is there were events before this. He didn't go into detail but it seems like there was quite a bit of stuff going on. And he probably didn't make the connection until all this happened.
malaise
(267,797 posts)There was a two hour local interview with Sokolich last night - he has now the connections.
warrior1
(12,325 posts)House and Senate. Christie it said the week before that they were animals. Maybe it was a two-fer.