Gov. Christie refuses to allow members of his office to testify before legislative committee

[kpete]

Last edited Tue Feb 11, 2014, 11:39 AM - Edit history (1)

In an announcement that could set the stage for a constitutional showdown, the Christie administration informed Sen. Robert Gordon (D-Bergen), chairman of the Senate Legislative Oversight Committee, that it is Christie administration policy that no members of the governor’s office are allowed to appear before legislative committees.

“This is a Christie administration policy. There was no such policy before this in previous administrations,” Gordon said yesterday on the eve of his committee hearing focusing on the months of delays by the Department of Community Affairs in getting $600 million in Sandy aid out to homeowners. “This is a huge disadvantage for our inquiry when so many of the decisions are made in the governor’s office.”

It would be an even larger disadvantage for the Joint Legislative Select Committee on Investigation that is probing the Bridgegate scandal, considering that 10 subpoenas issued by the panel -- including three new subpoenas issued yesterday -- went to current members of the governor’s office and two to former governor’s aides who have since been fired or resigned.

http://www.dailykos.com/story/2014/02/11/1276672/-Gov-Christie-s-office-refuses-to-allow-members-of-his-office-testify-before-legislative-committee
http://www.dailykos.com/story/2014/02/11/1276672/-Gov-Christie-s-office-refuses-to-allow-members-of-his-office-testify-before-legislative-committee

[mucifer]

1. Gee why would that be?

[zbdent]

2. Why, you might think he has something to hide!

How dare you think that!!!

< /sarcasm >

[aquart]

3. Oh, good luck with that, Chris.

You dirty, dirty boy.

Methinks this scandal will flood, not drip.

[zbdent]

4. I guess that Clinton should have used that type of defense ...

oh, wait ... Repugs went out of their way to make sure Bill Clinton couldn't hide behind the law ...

IOKIYAR ...

[11 Bravo]

5. So THAT'S what "full cooperation" looks like!

Funny, to me it seems more along the lines of "If you ever find out everything that I did I would be fucked beyond description".

[Lil Missy]

6. +1

[JackInGreen]

19. I think if we found out EVERYTHING he did

I think the skeletons emerging from a lot of associated republican closets would make the Well of Souls look sparse.

[Ikonoklast]

7. Good luck using that excuse with the Feds, dumbass.

Christie is now the S.S. Titanic, dead in the water, settling at the bow, awaiting the inevitable.

All he accomplished with this refusal was to move a few deck chairs around.

[malaise]

10. Ding ding we have a winner

[Baitball Blogger]

8. What a law abiding Republican.

[Kingofalldems]

9. Nixon II

[deutsey]

11. Sounds familiar...

Doonesbury about Nixon and Watergate:

[PeoViejo]

12. Jabba the Toast

He's well done.....

[spanone]

13. what are you hiding, gubnor?

[AgingAmerican]

14. Stick a fork in him

He is done

[malthaussen]

15. Neat trick, that.

Oh, I love it when a true thug is confronted by those inconvenient "law" thingies.

-- Mal

[gussmith]

16. How Democratic

Well, he is a Republican. Why should the rules of open government apply to his administration?

[sakabatou]

17. How is this legal?

[bemildred]

18. Oh yeah, that will work.

[bkanderson76]

20. "The Call Is Coming From Inside The House"....

[bullwinkle428]

21. I think an orange jumpsuit will look very fetching on you, Mr. Governor!!

[kimbutgar]

24. They have to custom make it or stitch two together

Chris is probably a stress eater he will be even bigger by the time he goes to jail.

That said it is only my fantasy as the big one will get off on this one. Iokiyar syndrome especially in our media. The Sunday talk shows and fix will make him a martyer.

[calimary]

25. Orange is the new (GOP) red!

Orange County CA will have to fight you for the title of "Big Orange" then, chrissy dear.

I hope the legislature pushes back. And HARD. The problem here, seems to me, is that if you allow that to stand unchallenged, then that sets a precedent that says no future administrations have to comply. And the republi-CONS ought to think long and hard about letting christie wriggle through this loophole. They'd hate it like hell if a Dem administration came along and invoked it, citing christie's precedent. Seems to me it cannot be allowed to stand.

[cleduc]

22. From transcript of Jan 9/14 Christie press conference

http://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/transcript-chris-christies-news-conference-on-george-washington-bridge-scandal/2014/01/09/d0f4711c-7944-11e3-8963-b4b654bcc9b2_story.html

GOV. CHRISTIE: Listen, I have absolutely nothing to hide. And I have not given any instruction to anyone yet, but my instruction to everybody will be to cooperate and answer questions.
...
So we have nothing to hide, and this administration has nothing to hide.

Nixon in The Pittsburgh Press - Mar 24, 1973
http://news.google.com/newspapers?nid=1144&dat=19730324&id=8FwcAAAAIBAJ&sjid=81MEAAAAIBAJ&pg=4033,3229683

"Hugh, I have nothing to hide. The White House has nothing to hide. I repeat we have nothing to hide and you are authorized to make that statement in my name."
...
"Members of the White House staff will not appear before a committee of congress in any formal session," the President said.

Back then, with "nothing to hide" ourselves, we took our clothes off and streaked in protest. Good times.

Nixon resigned August 9, 1974, seventeen months later.

Maybe they'll be streaking in New Jersey by the spring.

[BethWolven]

23. It's been retracted...

Sadly, Daily Kos & HoundDog have retracted the story. He's concerned he's been punked, because no other news media has picked up the story - and this should be HUGE. With no second source to the story, he had no choice but to retract. Click on the links in the OP for the full story.

{sigh} I was so hopeful... Stay tuned - I suspect there will be more to this.

[calimary]

26. Welcome to DU, BethWolven!

Glad you're here. Dammit, though. Retracted? Hell. But let's not drape ourselves in mourning clothes just yet. This isn't over - by a long shot. And it wouldn't surprise me if christie tried something like this to avoid having to cough it all up. Remember, this is the antiseptically cleaned-up "mistakes were made" crowd. Notice there is NEVER a pronoun to link the mistakes to those who committed them (and don't want to admit it). Shelley Berman used to have a comedy routine called "Cleans and Dirties" - he made a book out of it.

For example:

To Have a Party Is A CLEAN
To Have an Affair Is A DIRTY

Little Rock Is A CLEAN
Hot Springs Is A DIRTY

Tarzan Walking With Jane Is A CLEAN
Tarzan Swinging With Jane Is A DIRTY

http://www.shelleyberman.com/Books.html

And he had a middle category called "Clirties" which he described as a "cleaned-up dirty." That would certainly sum up the overall republi-CON strategy.

[Gothmog]

29. Welcome to DU

I also saw that this story was retracted.

I am fully expecting Christie to invoke executive privilege and attorney client privilege at some point. Christie has not invoke these privileges because he is hoping that these investigations will go away

[AtheistCrusader]

27. If the Governor's office was a foreign embassy, this is the phase in the crisis

where smoke is belching from the burn barrels inside the embassy.

[democratisphere]

28. Looks like NJ will be replacing its Governor.

[cleduc]

30. 2nd Source but different details

Gordon disappointed in response by Christie officials to Hurricane Sandy oversight hearing

http://www.politickernj.com/71386/gordon-disappointed-response-christie-officials-hurricane-sandy-oversight-hearing

Senate Legislative Oversight Chairman Bob Gordon (D-38) today reacted with dismay at the news that key members of the Christie Administration wouldn't participate in a Hurricane Sandy oversight hearing.
...
The chairman said he invited Department of Community Affairs Commissioner Richard Constable and Executive Director of the Governor’s Office of Recovery and Rebuilding Marc Ferzan to address the committee, and received notice over the weekend that administration officials will not attend.

“More than a year after Hurricane Sandy, too many victims are without the resources they need to rebuild their lives," Gordon said. "The people of New Jersey deserve immediate answers and it is disappointing that administration officials who are overseeing this process will miss yet another legislative hearing. We have spoken with the administration and have been assured that Commissioner Constable will address the committee later this month, and we look forward to hearing from him at that time.

“We will move forward with our meeting tomorrow in order to hear from stakeholders about the hurdles residents have encountered in applying for and receiving the aid they are entitled to under the federal program. Throughout this process, we will be looking for ways to ensure, through legislative or other means, that funding provided for relief efforts is distributed fairly, equitably and with adequate oversight so that Sandy victims are able to obtain the assistance they desperately need.”

[Rex]

31. Can we just end this farce and start calling him The Don?

He is textbook GOP...intimidate, obfuscate, diminish, distract, commit another crime so there is a new scandal to replace the old one and it can now drop from the news. Repeat for 20 years.

[Enthusiast]

32. What are you hiding, Christie?

[rustydog]

33. Impeachment?

[sellitman]

34. All you Liberals gloating over Christies downfall is disgusting

Can I join?

[calimary]

35. I think this is where one asks - "is it wrong that I'm smiling"?