Christie scandal: Hoboken mayor’s claims ‘demonstrably false,’ internal report says (via NJ.com)
An internal investigation conducted by lawyers working for Gov. Chris Christie’s office found no evidence to support claims his top people tried to strong-arm Hoboken Mayor Dawn Zimmer into approving a development project, according to a report released…
Monmouth County K-9 returns to service after being injured at Super Bowl (via NJ.com)
WEST LONG BRANCH – After an injury sustained at the Super Bowl sidelined him for three weeks, a Monmouth County K-9 officer is back on the job. Nanook, a 94-pound German Shepherd, was out of work for around a month after being injured at MetLife Stadium…
Christie bridge scandal: Internal report clears governor, calls for Port Authority restructuring (via NJ.com)
TRENTON — An internal investigation commissioned by the governor’s office found no evidence Gov. Chris Christie knew about the controversial plan to shut down several toll lanes at the George Washington Bridge beforehand, according to a report released…
CNN is broadcasting the media briefing from Randy Mastro of Gibson Dunn, the lead investigator for the Christie Administration into “Bridgegate”, the scandal involving the Geroge Washington Bridge lane closures last September and Hoboken Mayor Dawn Zimmer’s allegations that Lt. Gov. Kim Guadango and others in the Administration held Sandy aid for Hoboken hostage pending a development approval that Zimmer did not want to give.
The CNN Live Stream can be found here.
An advance copy of the Mastro report concludes that Governor Chris Christie was not aware of the GWB lane closures and has told the truth about it since his January 9 press conference. Christie was reportedly in tear when he learned that his Deputy Chief of Staff Bridget Ann Kelly had repeatedly lied about her involvement in the lane closures.
The report concludes that Kelly, and David Wildstein, then Christie’s #2 at the Port Authority of NY/NJ acted alone. After 70 interviews and reviewing 250,000 documents, Mastro and his team did not uncover the motivation for the lane closures.
With regard to Zimmer’s allegations, Mastro’s team concluded that the Mayor’s allegations are “unsubstantiated and materially false.
The 345 page, “thorough and exhaustive report” can be viewed here
Posted: March 27th, 2014 | Author: Art Gallagher | Filed under: Bridgegate | Tags: Bridgegate Press Conference, Randy Mastro | 5 Comments »Sponsors a critical bill before he reads it
Legislature in poised to pass a “cap” that doesn’t control costs
State Senator Mike Doherty
State Senator Mike Doherty (R-Warren) told MMM that he hadn’t read a bill of which is he is a primary sponsor, the day after it cleared the Senate State Government, Wagering, Tourism and Historic Preservation Committee.
We’re not talking about an insignificant bill like designating “I’m from New Jersey” as the State Song, or the establishment of special license plates for honorably discharged veterans, two other bills that Doherty sponsored.
We’re talking about the extension of the 2% cap on arbitration awards for police and firefighters unions, the provision of the 2010 reform legislation that slowed the growth in New Jersey’s property taxes and made the 2% cap on those taxes work.
Doherty joined Senate President Sweeney in sponsoring legislation that exempts contracts that have already been subject to the cap from being subject to it again when they are up for renewal and raises the cap to 3% on contracts that have not yet been subject to renegotiation.
Doherty said, “I don’t see what the big deal is, the original bill had one bite at the apple, this bill extends that. Is it a perfect bill? No, but this is the way Trenton works. A bill that passes is better than no bill.”
Not really, Senator. A bill that passes the same as no bill, except it deceives the public into thinking the legislature is continuing fiscal reforms when they are actually engineering massive chaos in municipal governments.
Doherty said he hadn’t read the bill when we questioned him on specifics. He said he was relying on analysis of the bill from Republican legislative staffers and referred questions to Republican Senators Steven Oroho and Sam Thompson, members of the committee that unanimously cleared the bill.
The leadership of the police and firefighters unions not only read the bill, they helped write it, according to what they are telling their members.
Posted: March 27th, 2014 | Author: Art Gallagher | Filed under: NJ State Legislature, Property Tax Tool Kit, Property Taxes | Tags: Interest Arbitration Cap, Nancy Pelosi, NJ State Legislature, Property Tax Tool Kit, Property Taxes, Seante President Steve Sweeney, Senator Mike Doherty | 1 Comment »By Greg Kelly
Friday, March 28
• Wanda Sykes at Count Basie Theatre (Red Bank) – MORE INFO
• My Fair Lady at Algonquin Arts Theatre (Manasquan) – MORE INFO
• The Imaginary Invalid (Holmdel) – MORE INFO
• Free Tax Preparation Help (Wall Twp, Shrewsbury, Manalapan) – MORE INFO
• Free Tax Preparation Help (Long Branch) – MORE INFO
• Date of a Lifetime at NJ Repertory Theater (Long Branch) – MORE INFO
• Sylvia at First Ave Playhouse (Atlantic Highlands) – MORE INFO
• The Rocky Horror Picture Show (Aberdeen) – MORE INFO
• Family Game Night (Tinton Falls) – MORE INFO
• Hiding Behind Comets (Ocean Grove) – MORE INFO
• Legally Blonde ~ The Musical (Wall Twp) – MORE INFO
• Book Sale (Ocean Twp) – MORE INFO
• Girls’ Night Out at Sickles Market (Little Silver) – MORE INFO
• Intro to Podcasting (Middletown) – MORE INFO
• Emily Grove CD Release Show at The Stone Pony (Asbury Park) – MORE INFO
• Ultimate Clapton Tribute Band at The Wonder Bar (Asbury Park) – MORE INFO
• Yoga for Adults (Red Bank) – MORE INFO
Posted: March 26th, 2014 | Author: admin | Filed under: Greg Kelly, Greg's List, Things to do in Monmouth County | Tags: Greg Kelly, Greg's List, Things to do in Monmouth County, Things to do in Monmouth County this weekend | Comments Off on Greg’s List: Things to do in Monmouth County this weekend, March 28-30, 2014
MMM photo/Art Gallagher
The former prosecutors that the Christie Administration hired to perform an internal investigation into the George Washington Bridge lane closures and allegations made by Hoboken Mayor Dawn Zimmer that Lt. Governor Kim Guadagno told Zimmer that Sandy aid for Hoboken was contingent upon a development approval will release the findings of their investigation on Thursday morning at 11:30.
A New York Times article about the report published on Sunday says it will address what and when Mr. Christie and his aides knew about the lane closings; analyze the structure, practices and culture of the Christie administration that contributed to the scandal; and issue pointed recommendations to prevent such conduct in the future.
Randy Mastro, a former Assistant U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of New York and a Deputy to former New York Mayor Rudy Guiliani, lead the team of lawyers from Gibson Dunn in conducting the investigation. Over 70 interviews were conducted and thousands of documents reviewed in the probe that cost New Jersey taxpayers over $1 million.
Three key players in the Bridgegate scandal, Christie former Deputy Chief of Staff Bridget Ann Kelly, Christie’s former political strategist Bill Stepien and David Wildstein, Christie’s former #2 at the Port Authority of NY/NJ, did not submit to interviews with Mastro’s team.
A joint legislative committee lead by Assemblyman John Wisniewski and Senator Loretta Weinberg continues to investigate the Bridgegate matters. U. S Attorney Paul Fishman’s office is also investigating.
Christie told NJ 101.5’s Eric Scott during his Ask the Governor radio show on Wednesday evening that if Mastro’s report implicates members of his staff, that punitive measures will be taken.
MMM will livestream Mastro’s press conference on Thursday at 11:30 AM
Posted: March 26th, 2014 | Author: Art Gallagher | Filed under: Bridgegate, Chris Christie | Tags: Assemblyman John Wisniewski, Bill Stepien, Bridgegate, Bridget Ann Kelly, Chris Christie, David Wildstein, Loretta Weinberg, Lt Gov Kim Guadagno, Port Authority of NY/NJ | 1 Comment »
Property taxes: Christie won’t sign Democrat bill to extend key law, Republican lawmaker says (via NJ.com)
TRENTON — A fight over renewing a law crucial to holding back an increase in property taxes is nowhere near resolved, a Republican lawmaker who has led the fight for retaining it said today. Although the Democrat-led Legislature last week began advancing…
Support for red-light cameras declines in NJ, poll by AAA finds (via NJ.com)
The more New Jersey motorists nabbed by red-light cameras, the less support the automated traffic cops have in the state, a poll by AAA has found. In 2007, before the cameras were installed at intersections across New Jersey, 77 percent of those surveyed…
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