Who is "Charlie" in the bridge scandal emails?

[Shankapotomus]

Anyone know?

Could that be code for Christie or is there some other player in this I haven't heard about?

The email transcripts can be viewed here:

http://www.motherjones.com/politics/2014/01/chris-christie-bridge-traffic-jam-emails

The "Charlie" reference is near the bottom of page 20.

If "Charlie" is Christie this is evidence he knew and approved.

[TomClash]

1. Could be the Chief Counsel

Charles McKenna. He was the NJ Homeland Security guy, ironically.

[Shankapotomus]

2. That sounds very possible

as Home Security would be concerned with traffic on major bridges. Though, that also brings up the dangers of causing of a traffic scenario terrorists could feasibly take advantage of.

[pnwmom]

14. So why wasn't he canned along with the others?

[Mimi23]

3. Charlie Chief Counsel?

So when asked what the reaction was in 'Trenton'...the reply that "Charlie" said "GREAT" (not 'Good' as in others responses) needs to be a paramount item investigated and disclosed.

The only person that could seemingly refer to is the Chief Counsel, Charles McKenna. One of two people who Gov. Christie, just hours ago, claimed he tasked with getting to bottom of this by interviewing staff, presumably to include the Dep. Chief of Staff and Campaign Manager Christie so quickly threw under the bus.

The begets a few questions. If Christie read ALL the emails...one would assume he would ask immediately "Who is Charlie?" One would assume he would IMMEDIATELY ask McKenna if it referred to him. McKenna would probably deny any knowledge and say DCOS Bridgette made it up. Why in the hell would this DCOS go to the extent of plotting a traffic nightmare in retaliation for a non-endorsement by a lesser Mayor unless motivated to do so with and by others? It makes no sense. Whatsoever.

I couldn't help but note that Gov. Christie structured his entire 2 hour denial like a seasoned criminal attorney would, after all, he was a US Attorney who oversaw many criminal prosecutions. The first thing he removed was any motive he may have had. "I didn't even know this mayor etc. etc." He very wisely knows that without personal motive, focus shifts from him.

Question remains then, where did the motivation start? Would one or two high-level staffers really be that concerned with not getting the endorsement of a Mayor that the Governor doesn't even know or care about? That seems HIGHLY unlikely.

If 'Charlie' was McKenna, then he knew about it from earliest stages. And said it was 'GREAT!'

And if Governor Christie's Chief Counsel knew about a low level Mayor being 'payed back' for failure to support...well...Christie can count on many more staffers having knowledge, and somewhere along the way, someone will sing.

This is far from over. I just hope the US Attorney and/or decent journalists uncover more than just the two idiot staffers who were so eloquently thrown under the bus by Governor Christie today.

Oh, and a lesson to us all...NEVER PUT ANYTHING IN WRITING THAT YOU KNOW COULD BITE YOU IN THE ASS! STUPID!!!!

[Shankapotomus]

4. You asked all the right questions

Some I didn't even think of asking. Namely, if the Mayor of Fort Lee wasn't on Christie's radar, why was he then on his staff's radar? If you were going to target someone on behalf of your Governor, wouldn't you pick someone you knew he didn't like? Not someone that was "never on" his "radar"? Doesn't add up. Too many loose ends.

Welcome DU! Great analysis.

[NRaleighLiberal]

5. well put...and welcome to DU!

[ProSense]

6. These are

...Why in the hell would this DCOS go to the extent of plotting a traffic nightmare in retaliation for a non-endorsement by a lesser Mayor unless motivated to do so with and by others? It makes no sense. Whatsoever.

<...>

Question remains then, where did the motivation start? Would one or two high-level staffers really be that concerned with not getting the endorsement of a Mayor that the Governor doesn't even know or care about? That seems HIGHLY unlikely.

...excellent questions. Welcome to DU.

Christie said Kelly lied to him, and he fired her. He also said he has no idea who gave the order. Who is the invisible member of the "family" who has that level of authority?

Christie: 'I Don't Know' Who Initiated Bridge Lane Closures

New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie (R) said Thursday that he didn't know who initiated the George Washington Bridge lane closures, though it has been revealed that members of his staff were likely involved.

"I don't know," Christie said when asked point-blank. "I guess time will tell, but clearly there was knowledge of this action, whatever it was, prior to the beginning of it with Bridget Kelly."

"I was lied to. For that, she's been terminated."

http://talkingpointsmemo.com/livewire/christie-who-initiated

Christie is a bully. This article is from December.

Stories Add Up as Bully Image Trails Christie

By KATE ZERNIKE

In 2010, John F. McKeon, a New Jersey assemblyman, made what he thought was a mild comment on a radio program: Some of the public employees that Gov. Chris Christie was then vilifying had been some of the governor’s biggest supporters.

He was surprised to receive a handwritten note from Mr. Christie, telling him that he had heard the comments, and that he didn’t like them.

“I thought it was a joke,” Mr. McKeon recalled. “What governor would take the time to write a personal note over a relatively innocuous comment?”

But the gesture would come to seem genteel compared with the fate suffered by others in disagreements with Mr. Christie: a former governor who was stripped of police security at public events; a Rutgers professor who lost state financing for cherished programs; a state senator whose candidate for a judgeship suddenly stalled; another senator who was disinvited from an event with the governor in his own district.

- more -

http://www.nytimes.com/2013/12/25/nyregion/accounts-of-petty-retribution-reinforce-christies-bullying-image.html

[Historic NY]

12. I worked for a guy exactly like Christie in local government...

micro-managed everything. He once told me he'd have to let me go if I ever got better press again. He'd write a note of send a copy of an article with comments. Imagine he wanted to manage comments on local history. He was pissed because I ddin't refer the reporter to him for comment....how petty. He eventully got defeated by another puke who somehow is just the same but will stop and reconsider what he says. I found out they reappointed me even when were about to do battle over a historic resource.

[Deny and Shred]

7. Cogent and provoking response, no snark, you are most welcome here.

The 'Charlie' inclusion in the emails, and all the redactions 'should' beget further investigation.

Helluva first post.

[myrna minx]

9. Welcome to DU, Mimi23. Great thoughts.

[joeybee12]

10. You win the prize for best first post...ever...

[calimary]

11. Welcome to DU, Mimi23!

Glad you're here! Nearly two hours on the public grill and there remain so many questions. Hmmmm...

You asked many good questions just in this one post. We still have many. I agree - this is indeed far from over. The one big lie that practically smacked me in the nose from his press conference was how this was not the tone he set in his office over the past four years. WHAT????? I beg your pardon? He was - and is - the Viceroy of Vendetta, forcryingoutloud!

http://www.nytimes.com/2013/12/25/nyregion/accounts-of-petty-retribution-reinforce-christies-bullying-image.html?_r=0

[Unknown Beatle]

13. Welcome to DU

Fantastic first post.

[avebury]

15. Great first post.

I think that the story that the closure was political payback for a mayor who didn't endorse Christie is nothing more then a smokescreen to cover the real political payback to the woman who is the Democratic Majority Leader and whose district includes Fort Lee and the State Supreme Court war that he has been waging against the Democrats. Rachel Maddow laid out a great alternate theory on her show last night on this story. There have been quite a few posts on it on DU.

[Mimi23]

17. 'Charlie' was conveniently re-assigned!!!

First...thank you for the warm welcome and compliments on my first post. I feel like the Bee Girl in the Blind Melon video. Seriously, you all did more for my ego than 12 months with a sympathetic psychotherapist. LOL. Nice group hug!

Back to Christie scandal...

So I watched all 2 hrs of the live press conference. Near the very end, Christie was answering a question. In part of his response he said something about question or issue would be handled by his "NEW Chief Counsel..." I thought I may have heard wrong so I waited for full upload of event and listened through, and heard it again. Confirmed what I heard with verbatim transcripts from news wire. He DID in fact say ..."NEW Chief Counsel..."

Did a bit of Googling. Current Chief Counsel Charlie McKenna was Chief Executive US Attorney (overseeing criminal division) under then US Attorney Chris Christie, and his long time top aide, confidant, friend etc. He also had a very high ranking position within the Dept. of Homeland Security.

Just a few weeks ago, Charlie was suddenly re-assigned, ON DEC. 19, to head up the NJ Schools Development Administration. Excuse me? I know he likely possesses administrative skills that might help this department...but that seems like an odd re-assignment given his extensive experience in law, specifically criminal law, and advising Governor Christie on a much broader and more intense level of all things 'big' in governmental policy. School Development Admin? He has never worked in education policy or admin.

This move of 'Charlie' eerily coincides with the scandal brewing to a boil over "we can't stop it" point.

Rachael Maddow did a wonderful job exposing the potential other reasons for motive behind the whole debacle. WHY isn't anyone in the bigger press world picking up on 'Charlie', a much bigger fish than Bridget Ann Kelly, from the exposed text messages, and his sudden and timely re-assignment out of the Governors office into a lame, non-legal position?

It seems like a very easily deduced no-brainer. Yet, when it comes to 'Charlie says GREAT!' All I hear from the press is crickets! Nothing!

Am I crazy? What could be the reason that something so obvious is not getting any attention ?!?!

[Shankapotomus]

18. Almost missed this one

Lucky I checked my older threads or I would have never seen your post.

Yea, McKeena seems to be skirting any allegations for the time being. Hopefully, the investigation will zero in on him soon as his part in this seems to strongly suggest his involvement and knowledge of wrong doing. The only reason I can imagine they haven't yet is because there are so many other glaring details implicating Christie's administration and staffers, they haven't gotten to him yet..

I wish you were on the committee investigating this, mimi23, as you seem to have a knack for tracing the tentacles.

Just a note for future reference, if you want to be sure other members are aware that you've posted a reply, you might prefer to reply to a member other than yourself. I had no idea you had posted a follow up and merely checked the thread by sheer luck. No one else knows you posted this but hopefully more will see when my reply to you bumps the discussion back up.

Hope you stick around and post more to DU! (I see your first post seems to be welcomed with much fanfare. )

I share your affinity for the Blind Melon video...Great vid and song!

[Mimi23]

19. Thank you!

Thank you for the advice on where/how to reply to a thread or post! Probably more clear when I do it on my Mac v. iPhone!

[Shampoobra]

16. k&r (nt)