Another Cover-Up In Chris Christie's Administration?: Editorial - NJStar-Ledger

[WillyT]

Another cover-up in Chris Christie's administration?: Editorial
By Star-Ledger Editorial Board
on January 26, 2014 at 3:00 PM


Ben Barlyn says he was fired from his position as a Hunterdon County prosecutor because he refused to drop a case against a Chris Christie ally. (2007 Star-Ledger File Photo)

<snip>

In the post-Bridgegate world, charges of Gov. Chris Christie’s political bullying have gained more credibility. It’s like when one woman accuses a public figure of sexual harassment, inspiring several others to come forward too.

In the wake of the revelations that Christie’s allies toyed with traffic at the George Washington Bridge, apparently to punish a mayor who failed to endorse him, we heard new allegations from Dawn Zimmer — the Hoboken mayor who says his officials threatened to withhold Sandy aid unless she supported his favored real estate project.

And now, we are reminded of the accusations of Ben Barlyn, a former Hunterdon County prosecutor who says he was fired because he refused to drop a case against a Christie ally. For the past year, he’s been striving to prove his story, paying through the nose for a civil lawsuit against the state while telling it to anyone who will listen.

Barlyn says that after he secured an indictment in 2010 against Hunterdon County Sheriff Deborah Trout, a Republican with political ties to Christie, he was fired and the case hastily killed by Christie’s appointed attorney general at the time, Paula Dow. The real story isn’t the mundane crimes that were alleged: hiring without proper background checks, making employees sign loyalty oaths, threatening critics and producing fake police badges for a prominent Christie donor. It’s the possible abuse of power by the administration’s head prosecutor.

Barlyn is now trying to compel the state Attorney General’s Office to release the grand jury transcripts to prove his case had legs.

He’s not the only one who says so...

<snip>

More: http://blog.nj.com/njv_editorial_page/2014/01/another_cover-up_in_chris_chri.html

[Squinch]

1. And the treatment Barlyn received while Christie was the fair-haired boy is the answer

to the question, "Why didn't Zimmer come forward sooner?"

While Christie was riding high, Dawn Zimmer would have been crushed under his POLITICAL weight.

[Heather MC]

12. I think asking why didn't she come forward sooner, is dumb attempt to discredit her story.

Throughout history, it is very very rare that a person with information that could have major ramifications for a high powered person ever comes out right away.

It always takes an investigation, or some other unrelated event to begin to bring out other illegal infractions a person or powerful group may have done.

Just like in this case it started with Bridgegate or Watergate 2014

[dorkzilla]

18. Agreed.

Only an idiot would even attempt to discredit her story by questioning her timing. All anyone need do is ask themselves what she could possibly gain by lying.

[Enthusiast]

28. They always do that..........nt

[Ninga]

2. Yikes, I have to start a new notebook for taking notes.. Thanks for posting!

Christie just keeps on giving and giving....a generous fellow indeed. Ha. The flow chart starting at the head of the fish, is filling up fast with bodies.

[monmouth3]

3. Right out of the Sopranos, for sure...LOL..n/t

[malaise]

4. They're just scratching the surface

The fun has just begun

[Bernardo de La Paz]

5. I have a feeling you are right. Somebody surely is keeping a compilation of Christie scandals. nt

[malaise]

7. Mayor Zimmer said that she and the Lt. Governor were 'miked' up when

the latter made that comment which can be viewed as extortion.
I just wonder if someone doesn't have that on tape. That would be so freaking sweet.

[Laxman]

40. You Need A Program...

to follow the action!

1. You've got the Hunterdon County mess: http://www.nytimes.com/2013/10/11/nyregion/43-count-indictment-of-a-christie-ally-quashed.html?smid=pl-share&_r=0

2. There's the Pinelands Pipeline for the Koch Brothers: http://www.nytimes.com/2014/01/12/nyregion/panel-blocks-gas-pipeline-near-aquifer-in-new-jersey.html

3.The GWB csper that now has its own Wikipedia page!: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fort_Lee_lane_closure_scandal

4. The Hoboken Shakedown: http://www.nydailynews.com/news/politics/hoboken-mayor-dawn-zimmer-christie-top-lieutenants-sandy-money-connected-redevelopment-plan-article-1.1583828

5. The firing of the Highlands Council Executive Director-complete with intimidation of Highlands Council members: http://blog.nj.com/njv_editorial_page/2012/03/nj_gov_chris_christie_moves_to_1.html

6. Misuse of Sandy money (thought we forgot about that one, didn't you?): http://www.cnn.com/2014/01/13/politics/christie-feds-investigating-sandy-ads/

7. Todd Christie-(oh, that not "fair game&quot : http://articles.philly.com/2009-04-07/news/25287471_1_negative-campaigns-monitoring-contract-contributions

8. Christie & Ashcroft: http://www.nytimes.com/2008/01/10/washington/10justice.html?pagewanted=all

9. Christie's Travel Expenses: http://www.nj.com/news/index.ssf/2010/11/gov_christie_cited_as_us_attor.html

10. Christie & Michelle Brown (very interesting) : http://www.nytimes.com/2009/10/20/nyregion/20brown.html?pagewanted=all

10 is enough for now, and there will be more. Hope this proves to be interesting reading. The Amazing Chriswell tells me to watch for Sea Bright, Belmar and Sandy Money.

[Bernardo de La Paz]

41. Thanks for the list! You'd get mad props if you posted it from time to time in Christie threads. nt

[Laxman]

42. I Added Two...

and started a new thread in General Discussion that puts it all in one place! http://www.democraticunderground.com/10024395877

[oldandhappy]

6. possible abuse of power -- hilarious

I think we are in for a ride. Ah, Christie. You over reached. And there are people who like that so I am not crossing you off the list. Just hope that these stories get a wide exposure.

[rurallib]

8. It's like moving a rock and watching all the creepy-crawlies scatter

Got to say one thing - Christie was doing stuff.

[bearssoapbox]

9. I'm going to have to get more popcorn.

With all the rethug and teabagger shenanigans going on lately...

[DeSwiss]

30. +1000

[lindysalsagal]

45. OK. That's a start.

Is there no end to the abuse??!!?

[bearssoapbox]

48. Them abusing us?

Us abusing them? They make it so easy.

Or them abusing themselves. (ugh, there's a pic I won't get out of my mind for awhile )

BTW...Good vid in profile. Liked it. Catchy and informative. Surprised there aren't more hits.

[sheshe2]

10. Pandora's Box

is open, there is no putting the lid back on.



Thanks WillyT, great news to come home to!

[WillyT]

14. Anytime... Scary Graphic...

[sheshe2]

27. Not as scary as Christie and the rest of the Grifters!

Let them~

[barbtries]

11. sometimes he reminds me of Nixon,

sometimes he reminds me of Palin.

Christie needs to go down.

[trishtrash]

13. Christie's corrupt administration is a tangled web ...

Rachel Maddow laid out some of the threads on her show Friday night. The breadth of the corruption looks to be mind-boggling. Only time will tell if all of it is proved but it seems to me that Christie is toast, a very burned piece at that.

[PeoViejo]

15. Jabba the Toast. n/t

[lark]

38. Oh, excellent!

I will have to use that. Jabba the Toast, LOL! Makes me smile just typing it.

[PeoViejo]

46. Be my guest.

[George II]

20. The threads were created by the Star Ledger and the Bergen Record, two local....

...New Jersey newspapers. Without those guys this story would have died already.

[Auntie Bush]

21. He should be impeached and definitely belongs in prison for a long, long time.

It scares the hell out of me thinking he might have become President. We couldn't imagine the damage he could have done. Good thing his dreams were rubbed out before he got the chance. And I thought George W was bad!

[bkanderson76]

16. .....NEXT.....NEXT IN LINE PLEASE....

[ailsagirl]

17. It's like a dam breaking

or damn near close

[mountain grammy]

19. I think there will be indictments by summer...

Bring it on and bring him down. God, I'm sick of the GOP corruption and bullying.

[Babel_17]

22. The Christie administration is like a large puzzle

We are now seeing more and more pieces to what is turning out to be a much larger, and more complex, puzzle than many of us imagined.

[liberal from boston]

33. Indictment dropped against a Christie Ally

Lawrence O'Donnell interviewed the former prosecutor who was fired & an Republican elected state rep. Revealing segment.


http://www.msnbc.com/the-last-word/watch/indictment-dropped-against-a-christie-ally-117113923620

[Babel_17]

39. Yeah, the examination of that can end badly for Christie

The examination might, on the other hand, end very badly for Christie.

A lot of politics looks iffy when seen up close. The Christie administration is now being scrutinized while under unfavorable lighting. People are going to recoil from what is pointed out and defenders of Christie will be harder to find.

[red dog 1]

23. K&R...Thanks WillyT for posting

and to think that just a few weeks ago, Christie was in a virtual tie with Hillary Clinton in a CNN/Quinnipac 2016 presidential poll.

Source:
CBS News

BRIDGE SCANDAL TAKES TOLL ON CHRIS CHRISTIE 2016 POLLING

"The George Washington Bridge traffic scandal has cost Gov. Chris Christie in a hypothetical presidential matchup against former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton
In a new Quinnipiac poll out Tuesday, Christie -- who was sworn in for a second term Tuesday -- now trails Clinton 46 percent to 38 percent, compared with a December Quinnipiac poll that showed him in a virtual tie with 42 percent support to Clinton's 41 percent.
His slide is driven heavily by the flight of independent voters who backed him 47 percent to
32 percent over Clinton last month, but now give Clinton 41 percent and Christie just 40 percent."

Read more:
http://www.cbsnews.com/news/bridge-scandal-takes-toll-on-chris-christie-2016-polling/

[WillyT]

24. Anytime...

[jsr]

25. Recommend

[hrmjustin]

26. K&R!

[DeSwiss]

29. K&R

[center]

''Okay!!! All right, fer cryin' out loud!!! He's right.
I did it! Just like he said!!! So get the hell in line and sue me!!!!''
[/center]

[marias23]

31. Baryln Legal Fund

Is there a legal fund? No reason Baryln has to bear the legal expenses alone. I bet there are a lot of people who would be willing to help - like me. Let's help clean up NJ politics. Please post if you have info.

[liberal from boston]

43. Legal Fund

Great idea marias23!!! The fired prosecutor Baryln came across as a honest & decent public servant. The NY times actually found the jurors & interviewed them who were outraged that the indictment was stopped.

[AtheistCrusader]

32. The more people distance themselves from Christie's fallout, the more of this stuff

is going to come to light.

The next 6 months are going to be FASCINATING.

[Spitfire of ATJ]

34. Ahnold got the case against Enron dropped.

[Liberal_Stalwart71]

35. So-called "Independents" are so fucking gullible! They jump and change their minds whenever

the Corporate Media tells them to. Mindless people who can't think for themselves. They pretend that they are self-righteous, independent thinkers, but they really aren't. They're lazy and gullible.

[aquart]

37. That has always been my opinion of them.

[aquart]

36. Must buy more popcorn.

[calimary]

47. Take a number!

[spanone]

44. k&r...