Welcome to DU!
The truly grassroots left-of-center political community where regular people, not algorithms, drive the discussions and set the standards.
Join the community:
Create a free account
Support DU (and get rid of ads!):
Become a Star Member
Latest Breaking News
General Discussion
The DU Lounge
All Forums
Issue Forums
Culture Forums
Alliance Forums
Region Forums
Support Forums
Help & Search
General Discussion
In reply to the discussion: Christie Crime Digest-Vol. I [View all]Laxman
(2,419 posts)230. A Great Two-Part Article From The Nation.....
detailing the shady deals and insider influence behind the American Dream Mega Mall. Smells worse than the Hackensack mud flats at low tide in the summer. The Saga of Christie, Samson and the American Dream Mega Mall. Read Part 1 here: http://www.thenation.com/blog/180471/saga-christie-samson-and-american-dream-megamall-part-i
then read part 2 here: http://www.thenation.com/blog/180497/saga-christie-samson-and-american-dream-megamall-part-ii .
From Part 1:
Leave aside, for the moment, whether or not such a project is needed in the most densely populated, traffic-clogged state, filled already with countless malls. The project, precariously financed and putting New Jersey taxpayers at risk, involves a stunning web of conflict-of-interest arrangements, at the heart of whichand representing nearly every sideis David Samson, Wolff & Samson, and their clients. He and his firm have ties to both the state and local government agencies that will provide tax supported bond financing. He has represented as counsel and overseen massive contracts for the company that will pull together private funds for the project as well, and it is still another Wolff & Samson client, Triple Five, which is actually building the project. Grifa, the Wolff & Samson lawyer, first played a key role for the state of New Jersey in getting it off the ground and then brought Triple Five, the builder, as a client to Wolff & Samson, where she works alongside Jeffrey Chiesa, who served as attorney general and chief counsel under Governor Christie before going back to Wolff & Samson.
From Part 2:
Conveniently, when Lori Grifa, the Wolff & Samson attorney and former Christie appointee at the Department of Community affairs, left the DCA at the end of 2011 to return to Wolff & Samson, she brought Triple Five, the builder of the American Dream complex, with her as a client. Triple Five clearly expected the firm to get them the funding they needed to make the project a realityand, so far, they havent been disappointed. Although construction has not restarted, an April agreement between the firm and labor unions appears to be one of the last remaining obstacles. Triple Five agreed to pour $1 billion more into the projectbut only if the state came up with money from the public coffers. Perhaps they counted on the fact that, ever since taking office, Christie has supported huge corporate tax breaks to get companies to stay in New Jersey, and Wolff & Samsons lobbyists worked hard to persuade state legislators to pass bills favoring those tax breaks. Many of Wolff & Samsons clients ended up as recipients, and the largest tax break went to Wolff & Samsons client, Triple Five and the Meadowlands Xanadu project, newly renamed as the American Dream.
Edit history
Please sign in to view edit histories.
306 replies
= new reply since forum marked as read
Highlight:
NoneDon't highlight anything
5 newestHighlight 5 most recent replies
RecommendedHighlight replies with 5 or more recommendations
Let us not forget the DMV in Elizabeth. I'm still "sauced" over that one..LOL...n/t
monmouth3
Jan 2014
#7
Is it your prediction that Christie will be charged with a crime or crimes?
Exciting Trip
Jan 2014
#48
Since I believe that it's DOING something criminal that makes you a criminal
rocktivity
Jan 2014
#50
For the record, I think he should be charged and am cautiously optimistic that he will be
rocktivity
Jan 2014
#54
The New Brunswick apartment tower that got $4.8 million in Sandy relief funds
LiberalEsto
Jan 2014
#65
Next time you write a post like this, put it in its own OP, please , so more people can see it.
pnwmom
Feb 2014
#89
Christie begins an "internal investigation" though he's his own prime suspect
rocktivity
Feb 2014
#94
Christie's problem being, of course, is that Samson reports to him directly
rocktivity
Mar 2014
#130
Christie administration broke law in ignoring greenhouse gas rules, court says
rocktivity
Mar 2014
#162
New York Prosecutors Open Another Front of Scrutiny for Port Authority!
yortsed snacilbuper
Apr 2014
#203
"kicked $10,000 of it right back to the Republican Governor's Association?"
yortsed snacilbuper
Apr 2014
#213
GWB inquiry expands scope, subpoenas files from Christie political strategist!
yortsed snacilbuper
May 2014
#223
Christie and Wrestler "The Rock" Star in Online Pension Reform Video (For Seven Hours)
rocktivity
Jul 2014
#235
U.S. Attorney Fishman: Reports about Bridgegate investigation 'Almost entirely incorrect'
rocktivity
Jul 2014
#238
Gov. Christie Shifted Pension Cash to Wall Street, Costing New Jersey Taxpayers $3.8 Billion
rocktivity
Aug 2014
#241
...After Illinois declared the first privately run U.S. state lottery a failure
rocktivity
Dec 2014
#298