Think back if you will ... back to the ancient history of about 3 weeks ago.
When very, very sorry excuses ... morphed into very, very insincere committments to 'find out what really happened' -- without the Governor's knowledge, or approval, or implicit agreement.
Chris Christie was SHOCKED -- I tell you ... and very, very SAD too (did I mention?)
Full transcript: N.J. Gov. Chris Christie’s Jan. 9 news conference on George Washington Bridge scandal
washingtonpost.com -- Jan 9, 2014
[...]
Q: Governor, beyond the apology and the terminations that you've announced, what other steps -- concrete steps do you plan to take to demonstrate to the people of New Jersey and the people of the country that you want to change the perception of what has happened here? And will that include working cooperatively with these investigations that are now moving forward because in the past you had some rather nasty words for the people who were heading them up?
GOV. CHRISTIE: [...]
And so now, having been proven wrong, of course we'll work cooperatively with the investigations. And you know, I'm going through an examination, as I mentioned to you, right now. That's what I'm doing. I'm going through an examination and talking to the individual people who work for me, not only to discover if there's any other information that we need to find, but also to ask them: How did this happen? How did -- you know, how did this, you know, occur to us?
That was then ...
this is now. This is what "cooperation" looks like ... from that very sorry Christie Team:
Chris Christie ally invokes Fifth on subpoena
by Elizabeth Titus, politico.com -- 1/31/14
New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie’s former campaign manager is fighting a subpoena from state lawmakers investigating the George Washington Bridge traffic scandal, according to a letter POLITICO obtained Friday.
Bill Stepien’s legal team is asking the lawmakers to withdraw his subpoena on the grounds that it violates his Fifth Amendment rights — becoming the second person to turn to that constitutional protection since probes of the controversy have begun. The demand suggests lawmakers who have expanded their investigation into the Republican governor’s inner circle could face major roadblocks.
Chris Christie
was OUTRAGED -- I tell you ... SOOOO Outrage he couldn't bother to ask WHY?
Full transcript: N.J. Gov. Chris Christie’s Jan. 9 news conference on George Washington Bridge scandal
washingtonpost.com -- Jan 9, 2014
[...]
GOV. CHRISTIE: I have -- I have not had any conversation with Bridget Kelly since the email came out. And so she was not given the opportunity to explain to me why she lied because it was so obvious that she had. And I'm, quite frankly, not interested in the explanation at the moment.
That was then ...
this is now. This is what "not interested" looks like ... from that very sorry Governor himself, today:
Chris Christie pushes back hard
by Katie Glueck, politico.com -- 2/3/14
[...]
By reportedly taking the Fifth, Bridget Anne Kelly, the former aide, joins former Christie campaign manager Bill Stepien, who asserted Fifth Amendment rights to fight his document subpoena last week, and former Christie Port Authority ally David Wildstein, who pleaded the Fifth when state lawmakers called him to testify on the lane closures in January.
“It doesn’t tell me anything,” Christie said of Kelly, adding, “I hope they would share information with us but I also understand people have rights.”
[...]
Don't ask, don't tell ... Right Guv? Is that what "working cooperatively" looks like ... to your very-well-paid lawyers?
Think back if you will ... back to the ancient history of about 3 weeks ago.
When very, very sorry excuses ... morphed into very, very confident statements of 'innocence' for one of the Administration's most trusted "allies" and/or go-to 'field generals' ...
Full transcript: N.J. Gov. Chris Christie’s Jan. 9 news conference on George Washington Bridge scandal
washingtonpost.com -- Jan 9, 2014
GOV. CHRISTIE: [...]
I think General Samson put out a statement yesterday that he had no knowledge of this. I interviewed him yesterday. He was one of my interviews. I am convinced that he had absolutely no knowledge of this, that this was executed at the operational level and never brought to the attention of the Board of Commissioners until Chairman Foye wrote his email -- or Executive Director Foye wrote his email to the Board of Commissioners.
And so I sat and met for two hours yesterday with Mr. Sampson -- General Sampson -- and again, I'm confident that he had no knowledge of this, based upon our conversations and his review of his information. So I think, you know, as he said yesterday, he is angered by this and upset about it, and I know that he's going to lead -- cooperate with the OIG investigation that's ongoing and lead a discussion at the Port Authority about what could be done in the future to stop such conduct.
That was one very ABSOLUTE 'assurance of innocence', along with
'one insincere pledge of Samson cooperation with these investigations' ... and once again some high-powered legal services are put on retainer --
to avoid doing just that:
Port Authority chairman hires former Homeland Security chief as attorney in GWB probe
by Shawn Boburg, The Record, northjersey.com -- 1/19/14
Port Authority chairman David Samson, a Christie ally now embroiled in two controversies, has hired former Homeland Security chief Michael Chertoff to represent him in a widening investigation into lane closures at the George Washington Bridge.
Samson was one of 18 people to be issued a subpoena for documents Friday from a legislative panel investigating the politically motivated closures, which were carried out by two Christie executives at the Port Authority in September.
That was then ...
this is now. This is what 'getting to the bottom of it' actually looks like ... as explained by that very, very "curious" Governor himself, today:
Chris Christie pushes back hard
by Katie Glueck, politico.com -- 2/3/14
[...]
The activity on the George Washington Bridge was initially billed as a “traffic study,” and Christie said he wasn’t clear on whether such an effort ever occurred.
“I still don’t know if there was a traffic study,” he said. “Did it start as a traffic study and morph into political shenanigans, or did political shenanigans morph into a traffic study?”
[...]
“Here’s what I’m curious about,” [Christie] said. “What I’m curious about is what happened here. That’s why I authorized an internal investigation. We hired a law firm to come in, do the investigation, they’re working really hard, diligently, and I can’t wait for it to be finished so I can get the full story.”
That's the Ticket ... for "working cooperatively with these investigations" -- start your own "internal investigation."
One that will "work really hard" to "get the full story."
Morphing your cooperation into backing your own "internal investigation" -- "cooperating" by paying them -- whatever their market rates currently demand ...
Yup that's some very, VERY sorry {er, cough} "Cooperation" ... indeed.