Report: No Evidence Christie Involved in Bridge Plot
Source: ABC News
"New Jersey lawmakers probing politically motivated traffic jams near the George Washington Bridge last year have found no evidence that Gov. Chris Christie was involved in the scheme.
Investigators found no conclusive evidence whether Christie was aware or not of the closures last year, but they say that two former Christie aides acted with "perceived impunity" and with little regard for public safety when they ordered the lanes closed, according to a 136-page interim report by a joint legislative panel that was obtained by news organizations Thursday night.
A report commissioned by Christie previously cleared him of any wrongdoing and a lawyer for the governor said in a statement Thursday that the report corroborates that investigation.
"The Committee has finally acknowledged what we reported nine months ago ? namely, that there is not a shred of evidence Governor Christie knew anything about the GWB lane realignment beforehand or that any current member of his staff was involved in that decision," Christie attorney Randy Mastro said in a statement."
Read more: http://abcnews.go.com/US/wireStory/report-evidence-christie-involved-bridge-plot-27383285
monmouth4
(9,694 posts)Thespian2
(2,741 posts)handles the money in New Jersey. Obviously, he could never be guilty of any wrong-doing.
The fat POS knows little more than cheating, stealing, lying, and wasting tax-payer money. Why the Hell do the people of Jersey put up with this criminal asshole?
Botany
(70,495 posts)n/t
bigdarryl
(13,190 posts)NJ Democrats are the biggest cowards I have ever seen.And to think Governor McGreevey had to resign as NJ Governor just because he announced he was gay
DeSwiss
(27,137 posts)Last edited Fri Dec 5, 2014, 09:31 AM - Edit history (1)
...it's a pleasure to see a professional at work. These bumbling politicians with their dick pics and wide stances were getting boring.
- Here's a guy what knows when to wear gloves......
K&R
bigdarryl
(13,190 posts)It means he's incompetent and had no control over his Administration. And conservatives have the nerve to want him as President
DeSwiss
(27,137 posts)...precisely because they know he did know and he's apparently getting away with it.
- Those are the sociopathic traits in him that they admire most. It makes them positively swoon.....
[center]The Tenses of Christie
Appreciative [font color=white]-- -- - -- -[/font] Solemn [font color=white]--- -- -- -[/font] Happy [font color=white]---------- -- -- --[/font] Real [font color=white]------[/font][/center]
SunSeeker
(51,550 posts)It was a politically motivated lane(s) SHUTDOWN on the world's busiest bridge. The fact that Christie and his mouthpieces refuse to acknowledge that shows Christie's complicity.
Laxman
(2,419 posts)the fact of the matter is that the committee has not come to any conclusion. They were prevented from hearing the testimony of key witnesses because the U.S. Attorney's investigation continues. The witnesses with first hand knowledge all took the 5th. This report doesn't clear Christie, it only says that at this point the committee's investigation is inconclusive.
The report notes that because "several critical witnesses" have not testified, the record of the incident "remains incomplete and leaves several important questions unanswered."
It also said Christie's office "responded very slowly and passively to mounting indications that serious harms had been inflicted on thousands of New Jersey motorists for political rather than legitimate policy reasons."
Read more here: http://www.nj.com/politics/index.ssf/2014/12/christie_bridgegate_report_released_george_washington_bridge_new_jersey.html
Once again I will add that the legislative committee is just a side show to the criminal investigation and that the bridge caper is a minor matter compared to the other criminal and corrupt practices of the Christie administration.
MiniMe
(21,714 posts)onehandle
(51,122 posts)He would still have a lot of explaining to do.
He would get pissed. And he'd show his true self.
Bombastic asshole.
Ineeda
(3,626 posts)is to show a montage of him being the rude asshole he is, over and over, and then ask, "Does this man look like someone you want dealing with the delicate nuances of international diplomacy? He can't even even handle a domestic press conference, fer chissake."
yellowcanine
(35,699 posts)And it tells us everything we need to know about how Christie really feels about this fiasco. It wasn't a lane closure, it was a lane realignment. In other words, "nothing harmful was done and furthermore I did not have any part in the nothing harmful thing which was done."
Laxman
(2,419 posts)that shed much more light on what the committee is actually saying:
1. NO TRAFFIC STUDY- For months, Port Authority officials blamed the lane closings on a traffic study to measure the effect of closing two of Fort Lee's three access lanes to the bridge. That's what Port Authority Deputy Director Bill Baroni a Christie ally told the state Assembly Transportation Committee last November.
But the new report says there "is no evidence of a bona fide, professional managed traffic study."
"The record demonstrates that the purported study was, in fact, an excuse to cover up lane closures that were implemented for other reasons," the report says.
2. MOTIVE UNCLEAR-"Taken altogether, the evidence clearly suggests that the lane closures were intended as a punitive measure directed against Mayor Sokolich," the report says. "What the Committee cannot say for certain is whether the closures were intended as retribution for the Mayors failure to endorse Governor Christie or for some other, unknown reason. Without current access to Kelly and Wildstein, and certain other witnesses and documents, the Committee remains unable to reach a definite conclusion as to what (and who) may have motivated them."
3. BARONI'S TESTIMONY QUESTIONED- the report says Baroni tried to get instruction from Kelly on Sept. 17 four days after the closings ended on to how to handle questions from Sokolich.
"These interactions reveal that Baroni was aware by this point, if not earlier, that a high-ranking individual within Governor Christies administration, Kelly, was involved in the lane closure issues and was providing direction on how to manage the growing controversy," the report says. "The interactions also suggest Baroni did not truly believe the lane closures were a bona fide traffic study."
The report then notes that Baroni testified before the state Assembly Transportation Committee that a traffic study was to blame for the closings.
"Given what is now known, there are serious questions as to whether Baroni testified truthfully when he claimed that the lane closures had been part of a traffic study and that Fort Lee had remained in the dark simply because of communications failures between the Port Authority and Fort Lee," the report says.
4. RESPONSE OF CHRISTIE'S OFFICE- the office "responded very slowly and passively to mounting indications that serious harms had been inflicted on thousands of New Jersey motorists for political rather than legitimate policy reasons."
It also says "the sequence of events, coupled with (the offices') evident lack of curiosity regarding the actual origin and purpose of the lane closures, at least raises questions (as yet unanswerable by the Committee) about whether key people in (the office), as events unfolded, took increasingly implausible explanations at face value because they knew or suspected a more damaging true story and preferred that it not come to light."
5. WITNESS TAMPERING- n Dec. 12 of last year, Kelly instructed Christina Renna, another Christie staffer, to delate an exchange in her personal Gmail account in which Renna had reported on a frustrated phone call from Sokolich regarding the lane closings and Kelly responded, "Good."
That, the report says, the state Assembly Transportation Committee had taken sworn testimony three three days earlier about the lane closings and "evidence indicates Kelly had asked to see a copy of Baronis prepared remarks beforehand."
"Thus, there is ample evidence that Kelly was well aware of the ongoing legislative investigation," the report says, and "as a result, her request that Renna delete a relevant email message may have violated New Jerseys witness tampering statute."
6. CHRISTIE'S INVOLVEMENT- the new legislative report doesn't draw any conclusion. It notes, according to testimony from Christie spokesman Michael Drewniak, that Wildstein claimed he told the governor of the closures while they were occurring at a Sept. 11 memorial event in New York City.
"There is no conclusive evidence as to whether Governor Chris Christie was or was not aware of the lane closures either in advance of their implementation or contemporaneously as they were occurring. Nor is there conclusive evidence as to whether Governor Christie did or did not have involvement in implementing or directing the lane closures," the report says. "Nevertheless, according to Michael Drewniaks testimony, Wildstein has claimed that he informed the Governor of the lane closures at a 9/11 Memorial observance that the two attended. While the Committee currently has no means to independently evaluate Wildsteins reported statement, the statement, as well as the current lack of information from Wildstein, Kelly, Stepien, and others, leaves open the question of when the Governor first learned of the closures and what he was told."
This report is far from an exoneration of Christie. In fact its a pretty unflattering look at his entire administration. Painting this as some sort of exculpatory report is disingenuous and the lead to the story " Report: No Evidence Christie Involved in Bridge Plot " seems to me to be deliberately misleading.
okaawhatever
(9,461 posts)of the events instead of the conclusion of the investigation. America is being lied to and the corporate-owned GOP friendly media is responsible.
dmosh42
(2,217 posts)Sunlei
(22,651 posts)Let's see the private email communications for the truth of the matter
lonestarnot
(77,097 posts)One_Life_To_Give
(6,036 posts)Ability to do the job without being asked. And to take the bullet without implicating the boss.
It is not illegal to hire such people. But is it ethical to allow such a system to exist within your subordinate staff? even if you technically are being shielded from knowing anything about it? Or do people in power have a moral obligation to root out such behavior within their subordinates?
Arkana
(24,347 posts)Hardly makes him a better governor, if you ask me.
Laxman
(2,419 posts)to Bill "Billy Baloney" Baroni regarding his testimony before the Legislative Committee and perhaps to the NJ Office of Attorney Ethics....since its now clear that he gave willfully false or misleading testimony before the committee (see, for a lawyer it doesn't matter that you aren't under oath, lying to a "tribunal" is not permitted) His testimony before the committee was a complete fabrication meant to hide the truth. This seems to be a direct violation of the Rules of Professional Conduct for NJ Attorneys:
(a) A lawyer shall not knowingly:
(1) make a false statement of material fact or law to a tribunal;
(2) fail to disclose a material fact to a tribunal when disclosure is necessary to avoid assisting an illegal, criminal or fraudulent act by the client;
(3) fail to disclose to the tribunal legal authority in the controlling jurisdiction known to the lawyer to be directly adverse to the position of the client and not disclosed by opposing counsel;
(4) offer evidence that the lawyer knows to be false. If a lawyer has offered material evidence and comes to know of its falsity, the lawyer shall take reasonable remedial measures; or
(5) fail to disclose to the tribunal a material fact with knowledge that the tribunal may tend to be misled by such failure.
(b) The duties stated in paragraph (a) continue to the conclusion of the proceeding, and apply even if compliance requires disclosure of information otherwise protected by RPC 1.6.
(c) A lawyer may refuse to offer evidence that the lawyer reasonably believes is false.
(d) In an ex parte proceeding, a lawyer shall inform the tribunal of all relevant facts known to the lawyer that should be disclosed to permit the tribunal to make an informed decision, whether or not the facts are adverse.
Comment to RPC 3.3
The Court has made two revisions to ABA Model Rule 3.3, which rule the Debevoise Committee recommended for adoption. One, the provisions of subparagraph (a)(2) are made applicable to "illegal" acts by clients, not just "criminal" and "fraudulent" acts. And, two, subparagraph (a)(5) has been added, which provides that attorneys shall not fail to disclose material facts that are likely to mislead the tribunal if counsel were to remain silent. This applies both to facts that are at issue in the case as well as facts relating to the management of the case. An attorney has an obligation to be candid and act with good faith toward the tribunal. See, e.g., In re Nigohosian, 88 N.J. 308 (1982); In re Herbstman, 84 N.J. 485 (1980); In re Turner, 83 N.J. 536 (1980).
So it might be nice if he were paid a visit from the Ethics Committee. He should be sanctioned or even disbarred for this. He was covering up illegal acts and that's exactly what this provision addresses.
Laxman
(2,419 posts)from last night. Funny, this doesn't seem to be getting as much play as the non exoneration exoneration of the inconclusive interim legislative report:
Multiple sources familiar with the investigation into last year's traffic jams near the George Washington Bridge tell NBC 4 New York at least half a dozen potential federal indictments in connection with the scandal may be handed down as early as January.
Those facing potential indictment include former staffers to Gov. Christie and current and former Port Authority officials, the sources said. Possible charges may be related to what sources familiar with the probe describe to NBC 4 New York as an apparent conspiracy to cover up what they refer to as a politically motivated plot.
http://www.nbcnewyork.com/news/local/George-Washington-Bridge-Traffic-Jam-Fort-Lee-Chris-Christie-New-Jersey-Indictment-Port-Authority-284905201.html
Darb
(2,807 posts)Please.