It kind of sounds like Christie's Legal Team has shifted out of "internal review" mode (their stated purpose) -- into a more serious "damage control" mode, regarding those "other" legal charges the Governor may eventually be facing ...
Lawyers for Chris Christie seeking documents connected to Hoboken mayor's allegations, report says
by James Queally, The Star-Ledger, nj.com -- Feb 09, 2014
The legal team tasked with representing Governor Chris Christie in the fallout from the George Washington Bridge lane closure scandal has requested documents connected to Hoboken Mayor Dawn Zimmer's allegations that the governor's office threatened to withhold Hurricane Sandy aid from her city, according to a report in The Record.
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Here's that report:
Lawyers for Christie administration seeking documents, interview with Hoboken mayor
by Shawn Boburg, Staff Writer, NorthJersey.com -- Feb 9, 2014
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In letters obtained by The Record, lawyer Randy Mastro asked that Zimmer and four other Hoboken officials provide his legal team with documents already handed over to federal investigators.
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“We question whether it is appropriate for the Governor’s Office, in essence, to be investigating itself, particularly when an investigation of the same subject matter is being conducted by the U.S. Attorney’s Office,” Zimmer’s attorney wrote in a reply letter sent to Mastro on Thursday. The Christie administration and Guadagno have denied Zimmer’s claims.
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In a show of force, Mastro, whose firm is charging the governor’s office $650 per hour per attorney, wrote in his letters to Hoboken officials that he had assembled a team of “five former federal prosecutors” to look into Zimmer’s claims.
Mastro’s work for Christie has been described broadly by the governor’s office and in records. Christie’s office has said Mastro was hired to help the office produce documents requested by federal authorities and by the joint legislative panel. He was also hired to help with an “internal review.”
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Here's an idea -- Why don't Christie's high-priced Lawyers ask the Federal Prosecutors for those Docs?
Or better yet -- Why don't they just ask Christie?
Besides having track records involving Blagojevich and Giuliani, Randy Mastro and company have one or two other little problems:
-- they are already on the NY/NJ Port Authority payroll.
-- and they are actively defending the PA in court.
Some would call this a "Conflict of Interest." But in Christie-land -- It's simply NO Problem!
Christie GWB scandal: Lawyers may have conflict of interest, Port Authority says
by Shawn Boburg, Staff Writer, NorthJersey.com -- Jan 17, 2014
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The firm [Gibson, Dunn & Crutcher LLP] is representing the Port Authority in a lawsuit lodged by the motorist group AAA over the agency's controversial toll hikes in 2011. Christie jointly steers the Port Authority.
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It's not clear when the Port Authority's letter will go out. The Port Authority has paid millions in billings by Gibson, Dunn & Crutcher attorneys, including Randy Mastro, who was also named yesterday as the Christie administration's attorney.
The motorist advocacy group argues in its lawsuit that the largest-ever toll hikes approved in 2011 are unreasonable because the agency is using some of the money to rebuild the World Trade Center.
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AAA has already made reference to "George Washington Bridge controversy" in their current suit against the NY/NJ PA, as evidence as to why the court should be able to compel "the Port Authority to turn over documents it has claimed are priveleged."
Recall back a few weeks. Recall the "pretense" under which the NJ Governor, retained the services of Randy Mastro and company:
Christie hires law firm to help with bridge probe
by Mario Trujillo, theHill.com -- Jan 16, 2014
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Christie’s team brought on the firm Gibson, Dunn & Crutcher LLP to help with its own internal review, in addition to assisting with the U.S. attorney’s review of the incident.
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“Governor Christie made clear last week that he will conduct an internal review to uncover the facts surrounding the lane closures in Fort Lee,” his office said in a statement. “His Administration is fully cooperating with the U.S. Attorney inquiry and other appropriate inquiries and requests for information.”
Christie’s office added the law firm “will bring an outside, third-party perspective to the situation, and they will be a valuable asset as we move forward. This Administration is committed to ensuring that what happened here never happens again. That’s what the people of New Jersey deserve.”
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"
Internal Review" ... Will that study be published to public? Or will it suffer the
same fate as that famed GWB "Traffic Study" report?
"Fully cooperating with the U.S. Attorney inquiry" ... Will that include fully complying with subpoenas, that were recently sent to the Christie office? Or will there be a series of pleading The Fifth, in the Governor's immediate future?
"$650 an hour per attorney" ... will that come from Chris Christie's personal funds (if the buck really stops here), or will it come that bottomless pit of funding, where Randy Mastro and company already have a vested foothold -- otherwise known as the NY/NJ Port Authority?
Because afterall, isn't THAT "what the people of New Jersey deserve" from the hard-ball power-brokers of Christie-land ???