CNN exclusive: Feds investigating Christie's use of Sandy relief funds

cnn.com ^ | January 13, 2014 | Chris Frates

[John W]

Washington (CNN) -- Just days after dismissing two top advisers for their roles in the George Washington Bridge scandal, New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie is facing questions over the use of Superstorm Sandy relief funds.

CNN has learned that federal officials are investigating whether Christie improperly used those relief funds to produce tourism ads that starred him and his family.

The news couldn't come at a worse time for the scandal-plagued Republican, who is facing two probes into whether his staff tied up traffic near the country's busiest bridge to punish a Democratic mayor who refused to endorse his successful re-election bid.

[ncalburt]

traitous Dem lite is getting a taste of the Clinton media machine .
Little Jeffy Zucker was carefully placed to Put the Clinton back in charge of the Clinton News Network .
Jeffy was hoping to be Al Gores Chief of Staff in 2000.Poor Lefty.
Do you recall Jeffy Zuckers kids were seen in the creepy Chairman Mao like video of Hollywood kids signing to our Marxist Muslim in 2008!So uit appears Comrade Hillary ordered a early strike on this useful idiot !

[Tupelo]

Well, of course the Just-us Dept is ‘investigating’.
The goal is to take the current: “Oh Look a Confederate Flag” and add in a burning cross.

If it wasn't serious business, It would be funny. But to me the surprising thing is the timing. Way too early.
Unless, there is something else bubbling up just below the surface.

[backwoods-engineer]

Isn't it interesting that just a couple weeks after NJ Gov. Chris Christie refused to defend one of NJ's freedom-taking gun laws, that he is hit with a major media scandal (the bridge closure) and a Federal investigation?

HE IS BEING PUNISHED. "Bad Chris! You should have stood up for gun bans!" sez the media and the Feds.

[cincinnati65]

“Obama hug” - Bringing your opponent/rival in closer, to make it easier to slip the knife in his back.

[hadaclueonce]

Get out the butter, Christie is toast.

[Sooth2222]

CNN exclusive: Feds investigating Christie's use of Sandy relief funds

I don't know how "exclusive" this can be, b/c I read about the the ad-agency thing (didn't go to the lowest bidder, and featured Christie prominently -- sound familiar?) at least 6 months ago. Typical CNN?

(Based on the traffic and lack of beach parking spaces this past summer, the ads -- promoting NJ tourism -- were pretty successful.)

The fact that they are pulling out all the stops against Christie means they must be awfully worried about Hillary. (I didn't think he was a threat to Hillary, but the fact that they think he is a threat speaks volumes.)

[Brooklyn Attitude]

“Yep. Or at least come up with some faux scandals to try to equate with madame Hillary and Benghazi.”

The second part of the media/RAT strategy is to protect and enhance the RAT party and their chosen candidate, hence the NY Times Whitewash of the Bengazzi scandal and virtually ignoring the IRS, NSA, and fast and furious scandals.

[caver]

‘did the left know about Christie’s vulnerabilities prior to the 2012 election, and did this play a role in convincing him to play nice with Obama?’

Excellent question!

[jmaroneps37]

I have no doubt this is happening and I have no doubt the existence of this investigation was “leaked” to CNN to help their sagging ratings. After all they are the NPR of television.

[JudyinCanada]

An Obama hug - same as a Judas kiss.

Clears the way for Cruz.

[~Vor~]

"It doesnt make sense to me. If I was Hillary I would have waited to hit him with scandals.Let the GOP get behind him and then bring him down.

Maybe Jeb is behind this with the help of Hillary"

Don't forget Karl Rove...

[GreenHornet]

Meanwhile, Barack Obama lets Michelle stay an extra week in Hawaii at taxpayer expense as a “birthday present”, and the media doesn’t have a problem with it.

[jimjohn]

What I find intriguing is that this is the kind of hit job that’s done against GOP front-runners during primary season; but certainly not now. This means that either CC has already lost favor among the Lib GOP (aka GOPe, etc), else our side is finally learning how to play hard ball (i.e., sinking the hand-picked nominee before they hit the ground running).

We already know no one will want Christie to campaign for them. That’s a good start.

Also a good start is McCain being censured be the GOP in AZ. Word has it ditto will happen to Graham in SC. All this simple means the GOP civil war is on, and a long time coming in my opinion.

But let us not necessarily get our hopes up about Ted Cruz (or anyone else) for the GOP nominee yet. Yeah, I like the guy, but depending on the 2014 election cycle, he may serve us better gaining more tenure in the Senate.

In short, CC is toast, but let’s keep focus on the GOP primaries.

[mandaladon]

Guess Eric ‘the racist’ Holder will call this a PHONY scandal too, just like Benghazi, Fast & Furious and the IRS !!

Oh wait, Christie is a RINO and white so don’t hold your breath !!

[School of Rational Thought]

Christie is chaRGED with using the government to punish a political opponent.

Progressives using Justice department to punish a political opponent.

[stanne]

It takes Gates’ claims completely out.

They had to play this early. Good

[moovova]

That didn’t take long.

[Incorrigible]

 

 

[Sooth2222]

Now Drudge has this!

"In an August letter, Pallone asked the Department of Housing and Urban Development inspector general to look into how Christie chose to spend the marketing money approved by the department."

"This was money that could have directly been used for Sandy recovery. And, as you know, many of my constituents still haven't gotten the money that is owed them to rebuild their homes or raise their homes or to help," he told CNN."

Pallone is a tool.

There was no way that they were going to use marketing funds to rebuild anything. The advertising firm, IIRC, is primarily a Democrat firm, and has the advantage that it is located directly across the street from the NJ Capitol building.

FEMA (Obama) hasn't done squat down here at the shore IMO. I don't think a few million in ad money would made any difference.

[dead]

The liberals in the media do not pay much attention to the internecine GOPe vs. Tea Party battles within the Republican Party, other than to talk about how they're tearing the party apart. We are all one big dysfunctional family in their eyes and they want us all destroyed.

Regarding the Sandy funds, it's irritating but politicians always do this crap - stick themselves in tourism ads, so they get free marketing on the backs of other funding. It's only a crime when a Republican does it. Actually, it's not even a crime then.

All those cheering on the media feeding frenzy over Christie see this as a win over the GOPe. And it is, but that's a tiny side show that's only playing in conservative echo chambers like this one.

The media, and most of the country sees this as a Republican/conservative/Tea Party disaster and they are going to milk this heifer for every last drop. When you start seeing people on this website cheering on Rachel Maddow's latest fevered theory on Christie, you realize that there are some pretty delusional clowns around here who don't see the big picture.

Look out below!