Governor Chris Christie - the gift that keeps on giving. This morning Christopher Baxter, of the Star-Ledger discovers that the Bridge scandal firm hired by Christie paid $3.1M by NJ in sports betting case.
TRENTON — The private law firm that conducted an internal review of Gov. Chris Christie’s office in response to the George Washington Bridge scandal raked in $3.1 million from state taxpayers last year to represent the administration in its uphill battle to legalize sports betting, records obtained by The Star-Ledger show.
Yes, friends, "Gibson, Dunn & Crutcher was the second-highest paid law firm by the New Jersey Attorney General’s Office in 2013." But, don't worry Robert Mastro reassured us last weeks that lawyers live be a higher code than the rest of us, and would never allow financial consideration to influence the nature of their professional work.
Christie is close friends with a partner at the firm, Debra Wong Yang, who, like Christie, was appointed a U.S. attorney by former President George W. Bush. The two have gone on vacation with each other’s families, and Christie steered Yang a lucrative contract while U.S. attorney. ...
Assemblyman John Wisniewski (D-Middlesex), co-chairman of the legislative committee investigating the lane closures, said in light of Gibson, Dunn & Crutcher’s lucrative new arrangement with the state, “they’re certainly going to be very careful about biting the hand that feeds them.”
Fortunately, as I mentioned above, Randy Mastro reassured us that lawyers live by a higher code of ethics than normal people so we have nothing to worry about it.
The lawyer who led the review, Randy Mastro, on Thursday said the firm’s prior work for the state had no influence on its conclusions in the bridge matter.
Baxtor reminds us of a 2012 Star-Ledger analysis showing firms with ties to Christie thrived in the first half of his term, while those tied to his predecessor Democratic Governor Jon Corzine had seen their work quickly reduced.
We should all take a moment and bow our heads to say a little prayer for lawers, for where would our world be without them?
9:27 AM PT: In case you missed it, yesterday we had a rare crossover gathering of the "Christiegate - I/P" Communities" where we all got to gather enjoying a laugh at Christie's bumbling around and ass kissing apology to Sheldon Adelson for calling the West Bank the "Occupied Territories," instead of Adelson preferred "Disputed Territories" And, it is the first known instance to my knowledge of Meteor Blades recommending a Christiegate Post. He also has a passionate substantive comment about OT - DT issues stimulating much discussion. A real community building and breakthrough moment I recommend you don't miss.
Here's the front half of it. Please go to the link and take the poll for the more humorous second half.
Christie apologizes for calling the West Bank "Occupied Territories," tells Adelson he misspoke
Kenneth P. Vogel reports this sad unpresidential spectacle. Chris Christie apologizes for the ‘occupied territories’ remark, demonstrating his qualifications to be the GOP nominee to be President of the United States of America by kissing Sheldon Adelsons ass before the entire world.
Sheldon Adelson, and the Greater Israel Zionists prefer to call the occupied territories the"disputed territories." After being informed of this Governor Christie apologized to Sheldon Adelson saying he misspoke and Adelson "accepted his explanation." This article did not report if Christie had to get down on one knee and kiss Sheldon's .... ring, or only his ass. Whichever it was, both American Republicans and Israeli's will be pleased to see Chris Christie knows what they think is the proper posture for a President of the United States of America right from the start.
LAS VEGAS – New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie apologized to Sheldon Adelson in a meeting Saturday for stepping on a fault line in Middle East politics during a speech he gave earlier in the day, according to a source familiar with the conversation.
Invoking a 2012 trip he and his family took to Israel, Christie recalled in the speech: “I took a helicopter ride from the occupied territories across and just felt personally how extraordinary that was to understand, the military risk that Israel faces every day.”
While the story was intended to forge common cause with Adelson and the several hundred donors to the Republican Jewish Coalition to which Christie was speaking, his use of the term “occupied territories” set off murmurs in the crowd. The term refers to lands in which Palestinians live where Israel maintains a military presence, including the West Bank.
In Israel, some conservative Zionists and groups believe the Bible gives Israel the right to own all the land from the Mediterranean to Jordan and from the Sinai to Lebanon. So, in this view, to say the"occupied territories" falsely implies there is some possibility that Israel may ever give up this land. And, these same people also bristle just as much at any idea that a President of the United States should dare to imagine that he could have independent foreign policy thoughts about their land that God gave them, or any other Middle Eastern foreign policy matters that may represent "existential threats to Israel's existence." So this ritual of kissing of the... ring is symbolically far more important than many realize.
Sheldon Adelson, and many in this crowd, seem to believe Jordan is already the Palestine of the two-state solution, and the West Bank and East Jerusalem will be annexed with the ongoing settlements, (aka "facts on the ground), while PM Netanyahu infinitely stalls negotiations, while pretending with the Americans, we are trying to broker peace. The Greater Israel Zionists, like Adelson, appear to assume this is what the Republicans want too, and also assume that we Democrats are too worried about losing Jewish support in elections in elections to do anything about it.
Prior to Governor Christie - Sheldon Adelson meeting, the president of the Zionist Organization of America, Morton Klein tried to warn Christie to call the West Bank "disputed territories."
A different article reports Morton Klein was angry because Christie brushed him off and even "scowled" at him, and I laughed imaging how well Christie's style is going to go over in Israel. Klein said afterwards "“either doesn’t understand the issue at all, or he’s hostile to Israel.” Notice Klein doesn't actual come out and call Christie an antisemite, but this sounds like it could be a warmup warning. And, based on the alarmed reaction, Christie's staff must have recognized this and pulled the alarm because, Christie's gruff brush off suddenly reverses and he is like a puppy dog with his tail between his legs. (I hate that expression, it is "hostile to dogs, anti-dog, if not outright, doggist, don't you think?")
Here's where the funny parts start.
Christie apologizes for calling the West Bank "Occupied Territories," tells Adelson he misspoke
9:43 AM PT: A new witness may emerge in Hoboken mayor's Sandy aid allegations
A new witness may emerge this week in the "she said, she said" accusations from Hoboken Mayor Dawn Zimmer that members of the Christie administration threatened that her Hurricane Sandy relief money aid could suffer if she didn't support an administration-backed construction project in the city.
Wednesday, the Hoboken council will vote on a resolution authorizing the mayor to waive attorney client privilege for her discussions of the allegations with city redevelopment attorney Joseph Maraziti. If passed the resolution would authorize Maraziti to respond to questions or subpoenas from either the U.S. Attorney or the joint legislative committee investigating both Bridgegate and Zimmer's claims.
"The City wants to ensure that Joe Maraziti, special redevelopment counsel for Hoboken, is able to fully cooperate with the U.S. Attorney's investigation so that he can respond to the document subpoena he recently received and so that he can answer all questions when he is interviewed," city spokesman Juan Melli said in a statement.
Mayor Dawn Zimmer apparently told Maraziti of the Guadagno coversation the day it happend.