On Friday evening, Rachel Maddow covered a story about how NJ Republican Governor Chris Christie, aka PIGnocchio, settles a lawsuit of many years standing against ExxonMobil for polluting the area under and around a refinery in that state for no apparent reason. Rachel said that that if the people of NJ were getting screwed for political considerations, it could turn out to be a scandal. First, here’s Rachel’s segment.
Now we’re learning why PIGnocchio would settal that suit for a mere three cents on the dollar.
Before Gov. Chris Christie’s administration abruptly settled long-running state environmental litigation against ExxonMobil for far less than originally expected, the oil behemoth donated hundreds of thousands of dollars to a Republican group that Christie ran and that financed his election campaigns. Additionally, the Christie administration office that engineered the settlement had been run by a former Exxon lawyer.
When the case was initiated in 2004, when Democrat James McGreevey was governor, New Jersey sought $8.9 billion in damages in a suit alleging that ExxonMobil damaged more than 1,500 acres of waterfront and meadows. Yet, according to documents reported on by the New York Times on Friday, the Christie administration is settling the suit for just $250 million. Based on ExxonMobil’s 2014 revenue of $411.9 billion, it will take the company roughly 5 hours to generate the sales to pay out the settlement.
Federal records show that the reduction, which represents a huge gift to ExxonMobil, follows a wave of campaign cash from the company to the Christie-run Republican Governors Association.
Since Christie’s first run for governor in 2009, ExxonMobil has donated more than $1.9 million to the group, according to data compiled by PoliticalMoneyLine.com. That includes $79,000 during Christie’s 2009 campaign and $200,000 during his re-election campaign in 2013. It also includes $500,000 when he chaired the organization during the 2014 election cycle.
ExxonMobil was one of the top contributors to the RGA during that election cycle, according to the Center for Responsive Politics… [emphasis added]
Inserted from <IB Times>
Click through. There’s more.
We have the smoking gun. I’d say it’s turning out to be a scandal.
23 Responses to “Turning Out To Be a Scandal”
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I can see Rachel, but I can't hear her; it's like trying to listen through a strobe (remember them?) I hope that means it is getting viewed a lot. A scandal is not a scandal if no one pays attention, and the mainstream media is perfectly capable of ignoring even this.
I tested it, and it works fine. It's probably your connection.
Hope someone gets DOJ to investigate–someone want to start a petition?
Go for it. I'm not a petition maven.
Follow the money, and in this case, the lack thereof. With Pignocchio, both routes will lead to the same end . . . corruption, political patronage, and scandal, as if Pignocchio needed another scandal! I can hear the fat sizzling under the heat already.
Just a thought . . . I wonder if Pig Nuts could solve this problem?
Pig Nuts has her hand exteended, palm up.
This might and should be the case that ends his political career. How can he not know that this will be investigated? Or am I being optimistic?
Christie is either delusional or has an ego so big he still thinks he's got a chance to win the Iowa primary caucus.
(Yeah, right – that's going to happen .. right after he wins the Boston Marathon.)
That may be as likely as Nameless' speculation.
TY TC – he does seem tefon coated, sadly.
teflon – sorry!
Are you sure that isn't grease?
Pat A – thanks for the nod to Pat S.
Pignocchio is a NJ thug. He thinks he is above the law. It seems as though he is because he keeps getting away with his criminal behavior. I'm beginning to think he will never be punished. Are his backers buying the judges?
Christie and his administration is so corrupt he'smaking the Mob look like a bunch of rank amateurs.
Damn, he'd look afwully good in an orange jumpsuit. (Of course, that's assuming they could find one to fit him.)
Perhaps the prison has a contract with Omar.
Apparentrly they couldn'r buy these judhes. That's why thewy settled before the judges ruled.
Not that it has any merit for assessing him as a politician, but judging from photos of him at CPAC this past week, does anyone else think his lap-band slipped?
It's gotten to the point that I think that his lane closure scandal should be renamed from "A Bridge Too Far" to "A FRIDGE Too Far"
If his Lap Band slipped, it's down around his ankles.
There is no Fridge Too Far that he can't reach.
Barf Bag Alert!!
Oh dear, 5 hours to pay off the damage suit..that's sick! 🙁
If the United States were a body, an enima should be inserted in New Jersey for a clean-out…