Darryl Isherwood at NJ.Com asks today Was Bridgegate related to a $1 billion development project in Fort Lee?
A new theory emerged this weekend on a possible target of the lane diversions at the George Washington Bridge that have spiraled into a full blown scandal.
…
Not exactly new and not a “theory” but a hypothesis if one is inclined to be generous. Isherwood does then go on to acknowledge that Steve Karnacki was the first to suggest a relationship between the toll lane closings and the Ft. Lee development. But he didn’t bother to mention that Karnacki aired this back in the January. However, Karnacki didn’t offer a “theory” (or a hypothesis), he said, “Hey look over here.”
There’s zero meat on Isherwood’s “theory.” And the comments in this case are worthless partisan rancor or factually error prone. Doesn’t even bother to point out that the major Ft. Lee development project is actually two projects, Hudson Lights and The Modern, and they were at different stages in their development when those toll lanes were ordered and closed a month later. For detailed information on this see, BridgeTroll: In Plain Site? and BridgeTroll: Dangling Threads from January 2014
A link between the toll lane closings and the one or both of these developments remains a valid line of inquiry. What were the the NJ Port Authority appointees and Christie administration looking to get from these developers?
David Sirota at Pando is chipping away at the issue of campaign donors that received NJ pension fund contracts.
Exclusive: We name the political donors whose firms got $14bn of pension cash from New Jersey.
The donations appear to be small and the pension cash large. However, the NJ laws prohibiting “pay for play” are strict and it appears that numerous violations have been committed. This might get more attention as the shenanigans that Christie has been playing with NJ Pension Payments heats up.
Salon’s recap of “big chicken’s” currently known corruption and GOP primary election hurdles: Chris Christie quietly implodes: Why his big “accomplishments” have fallen to pieces. And this doesn’t include what could be the big kahuna of stealing Port Authority monies for NJ transportation and probably development activities. This is cute:
Having handed this guy a landslide re-election a few months ago, NJ voters can begin looking for the guy that will have them competing for last place in private-sector job creation.
Another Christie sweetheart deal:
Chris Christie donor’s property venture given $106m by state after law changed.
Journalists might want to dig a bit deeper into the Christie-Hanson/The Hampshire Companies alliance. This made my nose twitch:
So much corruption; so little time:
Port Authority Land Purchase Is Boon to Bayonne, and Christie. This is yet another really good one. Christie and Cuomo scratching each others back while raiding the PA coffers (which quickly required replenishing via a huge increase in toll prices).
This is not going to sit well with a lot of New Jersey residents:
GWB scandal: Lawyers hired by Christie cost taxpayers $2.2M in February
That makes the tab $3.3 million. Many weren’t happy when they were led to believe that it cost $1 million. Christie spends public dollars on himself and his cronies they way GWB did. IOW like a drunken sailor.