In light of the rolling revelations of Bridgegate, perhaps now we can find the answers to some troubling questions from Chris Christie's handling of money related to Hurricane Sandy. With the prospect of Christie, The 'Boss,' (of the 'family' he keeps on describing,) in serious trouble, people seem to be able to 'remember' things now. The Omerta* seems to be lifting. It is a great time to get some accounting on some past issues.
Omerta:
A rule or code that prohibits speaking or divulging information about certain activities, especially the activities of a criminal organization.
Just as Guiiani became known as "noun and a verb and 9/11", Chris Christie has become known as "noun and a verb and Hurricane Sandy." He donned his superman cape and personally appeared in as many photo ops during Hurricane Sandy as he could.
There are some major unanswered questions surrounding Chris Christie's use of relief money given by the federal government to New Jersey and some unanswered questions surrounding Mary Pat Christie's Hurricane Sandy New Jersey Relief Fund. A full accounting needs to be made.
During the hurricane, Chris Christie took advantage of the made for 2016 opportunity to create tons of publicity. Expensive publicity. Oh. And did you know?
Gov. Chris Christie’s habit of using his public office to promote his presidential ambitions has reached a new low.
.....
But this time, he’s outdone himself. This time, he siphoned off money that was intended for victims of Sandy to promote himself in a series of TV ads. That is a new low, one that should play prominently in his campaign for re-election.
........
What makes this so offensive is that the money comes from federal aid intended for storm victims. So the next time the governor visits the Shore to take credit for Washington’s help, maybe the families and small business owners who are still on their knees can ask the governor why he ranked his own self-promotion as a higher priority than their relief.
Gov. Christie's shameless $2M self-promotion: Editorial
As if taking relief money intended to house and help storm survivors wasn't bad enough, Christie doubled the take away through fixing the bid for a crony:
It turns out the Christie administration turned away a qualified low-bidder seeking to produce the series of TV commercials promoting tourism at the Shore, titled “Stronger Than the Storm.” Instead, Christie’s appointed cronies chose to spend $2 million more for a campaign produced by MWW, a public relations firm based in East Rutherford that’s known for its abundant political connections in both parties.
Why? The governor’s office dances and shuffles around this point, and the woman in charge of this selection process, Michele Brown, wouldn’t comment. But know this: MWW proposed a series of ads featuring the governor and his family, a move that would be illegal in New York state and should be here. The firm with the lower bid, the Sigma Group, did not.
........
Christie was already under fire for using taxpayer funded town halls as campaign props. Now he is dipping into hurricane relief money for TV spots, not that it would make it any less appropriate if it weren’t the case. However, when raising massive amounts of money does he need to dip into Sandy aid?
If this is any indication what kind of president Christie would be, the picture is not flattering.
http://news.firedoglake.com/...
This is his made for 2016 advert, made with tax payer SANDY relief money:
And now what about the monies of the charity his wife headed?
Follow me below the fold?
Hurricane Sandy roared through New Jersey around October 29, 2012 creating devastation in many areas. New Jersey was declared a disaster area, President Obama came and had the controversial photo ops with Christie and federal aid was sought.
Many private charities swung into action, including one headed by Mary Pat Christie, wife of Chris Christie. Called "Hurricane Sandy New Jersey Relief Fund," By MARCH 2013, it had collected $32 million dollars and had dispersed in relief $0 dollars.
In contrast to other relief agencies which responded immediately, it finally released some funds that March, amidst remarks of political special interests buying influence from Chris Christie through donations to this fund. Remember that this was a re-election year for Christie, so political patronage was sought and given.
The opportunity for big corporations to donate to the charity is a potential way for them to evade state laws that prohibit industries like utility companies and banks from donating to political campaigns. So it should come as no surprise that utilities are among the most generous contributors to Mary Pat's charity. Not only that, the charity's board is a veritable who's who of influential lobbyists, philanthropists and corporate representatives, like political confidant Bill Palatucci and former Christie chief of staff Rich Bagger, who have connections of Christie's re-election efforts.
In other states, these types of charities have been criticized by watchdog groups as a way for corporations and the powerful to skirt around campaign finance reform laws and buy influence. In the wake of Hurricane Katrina, the Supriya Jindal Foundation for Louisiana's Children, headed by the wife of Louisiana Governor Bobby Jindal, came under fire when it was revealed several big money contributors received large contracts or favorable legislation following their donations.
Among the donors to receive favorable benefits in return were Blue Cross/Blue Shield ($400 million contract), Northrop Grumman ($11.4 million contract) and AT&T (17 contracts totaling $32.2 million), just to name a few.
The article goes on in very specific detail about some no bid contracts given to donors and ends up with the money quote:
All I'm saying is for a man who used to be a U.S. Attorney, Christie is finding it difficult to avoid the appearance of impropriety.
Hurricane Sandy victims are still waiting
The above article has a brilliant cartoon which I would love to embed, yet don't think it can be done. Click here to see the cartoon, well worth it.
And then we have to wonder, aside from the way to garner political patronage, just what was that fund of $32 million used for, aside from paying the director !60K yearly salary? Where is there an accounting? And why did the organization take so long to start dispersing the monies?
Mrs. Gov. Christie to Hurricane Sandy Victims: 'No Money For You But At Least We Got a Re-Tweet!'Again, an article from March, 2013:
The Hurricane Sandy New Jersey Relief Fund — run by Mary Pat Christie, the wife of NJ Governor Chris Christie — has raised $32 million in donations to aid NJ residents impacted by Superstorm Sandy.
133 days after that tragic disaster, Mrs. Christie’s relief fund has contributed exactly zero dollars to help NJ victims.
When pressed Monday during a press conference on why the effort has so far refused to spend any money to aid and assist the thousands of displaced residents, Governor Christie denied responsibility:
It’s her responsibility as chair of the fund. I certainly haven’t asked for any reports about pace of distribution of funding because I don’t really get involved in that day-to-day part of it.
When a local paper asked thegovernor’s wife the same question, she too tried to pass the buck:
[My husband] called me. It was really his idea. I really have to give my husband credit for coming up with the idea.
Mrs. Gov. Christie to Hurricane Sandy Victims: 'No Money For You But At Least We Got a Re-Tweet!'
Need any more be said?
Where have we heard this lately?
It’s her responsibility as chair of the fund. I certainly haven’t asked for any reports about pace of distribution of funding because I don’t really get involved in that day-to-day part of it.
The article ends with another 'money quote':
When will the residents of NJ finally get what their governor and his wife promised them?
These are a sample of some unanswered questions that Chris Christie needs to answer about his use and abuse of the governor's office.
Christie appears to have employed 'brown shirt' tactics against his enemies and those who refused to do as he said. That kind of thuggery apparently had reached the level of power of enabling him to stop traffic on the world's busiest bridge for a week. Scores of people buckled, too intimidated to stand against him. Fortunately some did.
Since we now have been given the unique opportunity to stop a literal fascistic politician in his tracks, we must remove every floor board under him and expose his every transgression, since I am convinced that Chris Christie is the true face of the Republican Party. The others may wear smiling masks, but Chris Christie's thuggery and abuse of power and politics of intimidation is their goal.
It is most certainly the current Republican modus operandi.
The more we learn about and expose Chris Christie, the more we expose this current ReThuglican Tea Party Religious Right Wing group who would be happy to stop bridges and retaliate against towns and mayors, IF THEY COULD GET AWAY WITH IT.
We have to make sure that Chris Christie and his ilk, DO NOT get away with it. And we have to make sure that he is exposed on as many of his wrong doings as we can find.
In short, we have to make an example of him.