NJ Port Authority Chief Warned That Bridge Lane Closures Were Illegal

[ProSense]

NJ Port Authority Chief Warned That Bridge Lane Closures Were Illegal

New Jersey Port Authority Executive Director Pat Foye wrote an impassioned email to the general manager of the George Washington Bridge on Sept. 13, arguing that lane closures that spiraled into a major scandal this week were illegal.

Foye's email, addressed to Robert Durando and other Port Authority officials, fumed that he was not included in the decision, which he said was damaging the public safety and the economy. He ordered that it be reversed.

"This hasty and ill-advised decision has resulted in delays to emergency vehicles. I pray that no life has been lost or trip of a hospital- or hospice-bound patient delayed," he wrote. He added: "I believe this hasty and ill-advised decision violates Federal Law and the laws of both States."

"To be clear," Foye declared, "I will get to the bottom of this abusive decision which violates everything this agency stands for; I intend to learn how PA process was wrongfully subverted and the public interest damaged to say nothing of the credibility of this agency."

- more -

http://talkingpointsmemo.com/livewire/pat-foye-bridge-illegal

New documents reveal ‘Bridgegate’ PA appointees ignored danger warnings
http://www.democraticunderground.com/10024311870

[ProSense]

1. Adding this:

Could Christie's Bridge Scandal Really Lead To Criminal Charges?

<...>

The U.S. attorney has opened a preliminary inquiry after a referral from the inspector general at the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey, which had been investigating the matter. David Wildstein, the disgraced Christie appointee at the heart of the scandal, repeatedly invoked his right to remain silent during an oversight hearing with state lawmakers. The journey toward uncovering any potential criminality is well underway.

<...>

Interfering with peoples' ability to drive between states by closing lanes on the George Washington Bridge between New York and New Jersey might be a crime on its own.

Law professors at two different schools pointed TPM to federal civil right laws, in particular Section 241 of Title 18 of the U.S. Code, which begins:

If two or more persons conspire to injure, oppress, threaten, or intimidate any person in any State, Territory, Commonwealth, Possession, or District in the free exercise or enjoyment of any right or privilege secured to him by the Constitution or laws of the United States, or because of his having so exercised the same ...

According to Supreme Court precedent, your right to interstate travel is protected under the above statute, said Frank Askin, a professor at Rutgers University School of Law. Federal civil rights statutes also treat the use of federal interstate highways as a protected activity.

In the bridge scandal, the now-infamous "Time for some traffic problems in Fort Lee" email sent from a Christie aide in the governor's office to a Christie ally at the Port Authority could arguably establish a conspiracy, said Burt Neuborne, a professor at New York University School of Law. Neuborne portrayed a charge based on these statutes as close to a slam dunk.

- more -

http://talkingpointsmemo.com/muckraker/christie-bridge-scandal-criminal-charges

Six Bergen County residents file class-action lawsuits over GWB scandal
http://www.democraticunderground.com/10024307147

Jersey's Top Paper Isn't Buying Christie's Story: It 'Stretches The Bounds Of Belief'
http://www.democraticunderground.com/10024309549

[malaise]

3. Oops!

Nasty, vindictive, ReTHUG scumbags.

[DesertFlower]

8. well said. nt

[malaise]

10. Christie is the posterchild for ReTHUGs

The entire party should be banished from office

[ProSense]

13. More:

Fort Lee Mayor: Port Authority Police Blamed Me For Christie's Traffic Jam



http://www.businessinsider.com/fort-lee-mayor-port-authority-blamed-me-for-the-traffic-jam-2014-1

Using the Port Authority Police for political revenge, check!

UH OH! Now the Police Dept is Involved in Bridgegate
http://www.dailykos.com/story/2014/01/10/1268748/-UH-OH-Now-the-Police-Dept-is-Involved-in-Bridgegate

[malaise]

14. Oh dear!

Question in relation to much of the redacted stuff - Will Sampson be Christie's Delilah?

[ProSense]

16. You know, I'm flagging this

as a key quote from Christie's BS press conference:

“I don’t know if this was a traffic study that morphed into a political vendetta or a political vendetta that morphed into a traffic study,” he claimed.

http://thinkprogress.org/home/2014/01/09/3141121/christie/

He keeps repeating this BS about a study, and it gives me the impression that maybe this was part of the coverup. Here he's making another bullshit joke about a serious incident.

I mean, there is no question that this was done for political retribution. So why did Christie keep pushing this claim?

Something smells rotten.

[malaise]

18. It is rotten

Have you seen Rachel's thesis from last night?

[ProSense]

21. Yes, posted

"Have you seen Rachel's thesis from last night?"

...a piece from her blog here: http://www.democraticunderground.com/10024309949

I'm piecing the information together, about that "study" quote:

New documents show extensive N.J. coverup

By Philip Rucker

New documents related to a traffic jam planned by a member of New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie's (R) staff show for the first time how furiously Christie’s lieutenants inside the Port Authority worked to orchestrate a cover-up after traffic mayhem swiftly engulfed Fort Lee last year.

Inside the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey, Christie’s top appointees neglected furious complaints from Fort Lee’s police chief as well as from angry rush-hour commuters. One woman called asking why the agency was “playing God with people’s jobs.”

The Republican governor’s appointees instructed subordinates to stonewall reporters who were asking questions. They even ordered up an actual “traffic study” to chronicle the impact and examine whether closing the lanes permanently might improve traffic flow. The study’s conclusion: “TBD.”

- more -

http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/post-politics/wp/2014/01/10/documents-raise-new-questions-in-christie-probe/

Hey, "stonewall reporters" and use PAPD as pawns, nothing to see here.

It appears that the "study" was supposed to be their alibi. Christie pushing it forcefully indicates to me he knew.

[treestar]

20. Where did the Port Authority Police Officers get that idea?

Hmmmmm.

[renate]

22. well, that explains why a traffic jam makes sense as a vendetta

Rachel's explanation was interesting (and the timing really was suspicious), especially because inconveniencing Fort Lee citizens rather than the mayor himself seemed so illogical, but if they'd always planned to pin the blame for the traffic jam on him, maybe the original explanation makes sense after all.

[ProSense]

24. Who knows? Christie and his allies seem to target anyone who gets in his way. n/t

[fromchaos]

7. Governor Christie Could Be Charged As a "Domestic Terrorist"

Assuming the evidence shows he was involved Christie could be tried under section 802 of the USA PATRIOT ACT Governor Christie "Domestic Terrorist"? . Mr President please get on this and arrest a true terrorist.

[SunSeeker]

9. And the rest of his flying monkeys charged as conspirators. nt

[rhett o rick]

11. Good point. As a suspected terrorist, he has no habeas corpus rights via the Patriot Act.

He could be picked up off the street and whisked away to a foreign prison and tortured. The precedent has been set.

[fromchaos]

12. Governor Christie Could Be Charged As a "Domestic Terrorist"

Not necessarily advocating that but trying to prove a point. BTW Warren is my Senator and she has pleasantly surprised me.

[rhett o rick]

25. I agree with the point. The problem with Sen Warren

is that she is so outspoken, she makes us wonder what the hell is wrong with the other Democrats.

[fromchaos]

27. Sen Warren

Yea I thought she was all talk but overall she has done well. Her stance or lack thereof on Syria really irked me though.

[rhett o rick]

28. At least she speaks out. We need more Democrats to speak out. nm

[Bernardo de La Paz]

17. Terror charges faced by Oklahoma fossil fuel protesters 'outrageous.' (banner, glitter)

Terror charges faced by Oklahoma fossil fuel protesters 'outrageous.'
Source: The Guardian

The terror charges facing two environmental protesters who unfurled a banner and dropped glitter at an oil and gas company's office in Oklahoma are "outrageous" and "egregious", according to the lawyer representing them.

The authorities have already collected about 100 reports, including witness statements, surveillance video and other evidence to support the charges of terrorism hoax against the two protesters, Oklahoma city police told the Guardian. The charge, which carries a maximum penalty of 10 years, has yet to be confirmed by the Oklahoma city district attorney. If the charges do go ahead, it would be the first such use of Oklahoma's "terrorism hoax" statute in recent memory. But the application of anti-terror statutes to a peaceful protest by barely a dozen activists has already caused outrage. Police concede there were no injuries in the protest.

"I have seen some pretty egregious stuff in my day, but these kind of charges are just outrageous and they are certainly the most egregious that I have seen," said Douglas Parr, lawyer for the two activists. "There is just no way the facts justify filing those charges."

(snip)

Read more: http://www.theguardian.com/environment/2014/jan/10/terror-charges-oklahoma-fossil-fuel-protest

[Dopers_Greed]

23. +1000

Imagine if an activist group had engineered the shutdown of roads for whatever reason.

They would be hit with terror charges, and spend the rest of their lives in torture chambers.

[WhiteTara]

19. Oh my, you mean

actions have consequences? I thought it was always OKIYAR

[okaawhatever]

2. I like this Pat Foye person. They seem to be about doing their job first. I don't know their

political affiliation but Pat seems much more concerned with the citizens than whatever party he belongs to. Good for him/her.

[okaawhatever]

4. I guess all these documents were released on Friday afternoon to avoid the weekday news cycle. nt

[BeyondGeography]

5. Time for some legal problems in Fort Christie

[Kingofalldems]

6. Bottom line, it was ordered by the Governor

and he should face criminal charges.

[Bernardo de La Paz]

15. "I pray that no life has been lost or trip of a hospital- or hospice-bound patient delayed,"

Prophetic?

Common sense.

[mucifer]

26. It had the potential to be much much worse.

[spooky3]

29. Yes it did. I hope Foye is recognized for

His doing a courageous job and that in the future no employee has to have as much courage simply to do the right thing.