Hoboken Site Developer Dismisses Law Firm

[highplainsdem]

Source: NY Times

Rockefeller Group, a real estate developer whose proposed office complex in Hoboken, N.J., is at the center of allegations that associates of Gov. Chris Christie threatened to withhold Hurricane Sandy relief money from the city unless the project received approval, has severed its connections with a law firm with close ties to the governor.

Rockefeller Group said on Thursday that last week it had terminated its contract with the firm, Wolff & Samson, ending a relationship that began in 2007.

“Given the investigation,” Dwayne Doherty, a spokesman for Rockefeller Group, said, “we’ve decided to shift our work on the project to another firm.”

Rockefeller Group said the allegations were “deplorable” if true.

-snip-

Read more: http://www.nytimes.com/2014/01/31/nyregion/hoboken-site-developer-dismisses-law-firm.html

[hrmjustin]

1. K&R!

[pnwmom]

2. drip drip drip

[Raine1967]

3. This is the juicy part:

Rockefeller Group bought a 4.9-acre industrial parcel at the north end of Hoboken for about $100 million in 2008, hoping to build a large office complex. The company hired Wolff & Samson, a law firm with extensive ties to Republicans, for land use, environmental and lobbying work.

Wolff & Samson was founded by David Samson, whom Mr. Christie named as chairman of the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey in 2010. A former member of Mr. Christie’s cabinet, Lori Grifa, who now works at the law firm, lobbied state officials on behalf of the project.

Ties are being severed. At this point I'm left wondering how long Samson remains at the Port Authority or at his law firm. Mr. Samson an't have it both ways for very long.

[adirondacker]

13. interesting. thanks for highlighting. nt

[Laxman]

15. I Am Reasonably Certain...

that this is a violation of state ethics rules for Lori Grifa. She led the Department of Community Affairs which provided money for planning in Hoboken and then lobbies for a real estate developer to move a project forward that was underway while she ran that office. But, since a Christie crony is in charge at the ethics board, this will go nowhere.

[johnfunk]

4. SandyGhazi!

Samson, meet metaphorical Delilah!

[DURHAM D]

5. Is it wrong of me to laugh out loud?

ETA: I think the correct phrasing would be "distancing themselves" from David Samson before he is marched off in chains.

[Gothmog]

6. I expected this to occur

There are accepted procedures for damage control and the key step is stop the bleeding. The Rockefeller Group is going to run away from the bad press by firing the Christie linked law firm. The next step will be for people attempt to cut deals. The Rockefeller Group may offer testimony in exchange for no criminal charges.

[BlueStreak]

7. "deplorab *IF* true"

Right. As if they didn't know what they were buying by using the law firm connected with the governor.

Translation: It is deplorable that after we spent all this money buying influence, it may actually bite us in the butt. But at least we don't have to worry about jail time, prosecuted under the RICO statues for example, because that isn't how the Obama DOJ works.

Has Holder does a single RICO prosecution since he took office?

http://www.dailykos.com/story/2014/01/19/1270700/-Mr-Christie-meet-Mr-RICO-Part-2

[Cha]

8. E HAW!

Muchas Gracias, highplainsdem!!

[Laxman]

9. Oh My....

that's certainly a telling development (no pun intended)! However, I find it hard to believe that they were innocent victims of the treachery of Christie and Wolf & Samson. I can almost guarantee that one or two of their government affairs representatives were at most meetings concerning the Hoboken development (excluding the Shop-Rite meeting between Zimmer & Guadagno). Although it is possible that there were meetings between Wolf & Samson lawyers ( I don't know who had this development from the firm, but it had to be at the partner level) and state officials without them. The rats are starting to turn on each other. That's a very good sign.

[thesquanderer]

10. "Shocked, shocked I tell you!" (n't)

[Babel_17]

11. Notably distancing themselves (nt)

[sheshe2]

12. The saga continues...

Thanks for the update highplainsdem!

[Botany]

14. allegations were “deplorable” if true

BTW somebody get that barn door?

[Beacool]

16. The plot thickens........