A Very Pricey Probe

The following is my latest column in The Jewish Link of Bergen County, in which I weigh in on the internal Bridgegate investigation commissioned by Governor Chris Christie and question the decision to have taxpayers foot the bill:

 

A VERY PRICEY PROBE

 

By: N. Aaron Troodler, Esq.

 

I recently had the pleasure of attending an event hosted by New York Governor Andrew Cuomo, at which he discussed his desire for local governments to explore consolidation and pursue more shared services opportunities. In addition, Governor Cuomo promoted his plan to cut property taxes and noted that he is encouraging people to contact their local lawmakers, some of whom may be resistant to imposing and adhering to a property tax cap, and urging them to sign on to his plan to help achieve much-needed property tax relief.

 

During his pitch, Governor Cuomo made a comment that resonated with me. “The bureaucracy is not going to win,” he said, referring to lawmakers. “Do you know who’s going to win? The people are going to win. When the people speak, the people win.”

 

In theory, he is right. Government is designed to work on behalf of the people. The people’s voices are supposed to be heard by their governmental representatives and their opinions and interests are expected to be duly considered.

 

Unfortunately, in New Jersey, that does not seem to be the case lately.

 

We recently learned that Governor Chris Christie spent an estimated $1 million (or perhaps even much more), essentially to investigate himself. As incongruous as that sounds, the situation became even more contemptible and concerning when we learned that the Governor spent our money. Yes, you heard me right. $1 million of taxpayer funds – our funds – were used by Governor Christie in an attempt to burnish his image.

 

As the fallout from the Bridgegate scandal continues to chip away at Chris Christie’s political persona, he decided to enlist the services of a law firm to conduct an “independent” investigation into what transpired.

 

The issue is that Christie did not just hire any old law firm. Instead, the Governor engaged Gibson Dunn & Crutcher, a high-priced, politically connected law firm that has close ties to his administration.

 

The high-powered attorneys at Gibson Dunn & Crutcher conducted an investigation, to the tune of $650 per hour.

 

Not surprisingly, the report they ultimately issued at the conclusion of their investigation vindicated Governor Christie and determined that there was no wrongdoing on his part.

 

Interestingly enough, they were somehow able to ascertain that the Governor was not culpable in any way, despite the fact that three of the central figures in the scandal refused to cooperate with their investigation.

 

Bridget Anne Kelly, Christie’s former Deputy Chief of Staff, Bill Stepien, his former chief political advisor and campaign manager, and David Wildstein, a Christie appointee to the Port Authority, all declined to be interviewed by the Governor’s hired guns.

 

Although I am certainly not questioning the veracity or integrity of the attorneys who were hired by Governor Christie to conduct a probe of his role in Bridgegate, I am definitely troubled by the appearance of what I perceive to be a clear conflict of interest.

 

Calling on a bunch of old friends to delve into the details of a scandal that has rocked the Governor’s administration and asking them to make a finding if there was any wrongdoing smacks of cronyism.

 

Making matters worse, Governor Christie dipped his hand into our pockets in order to pay his hefty legal bill. I certainly cannot speak for every New Jersey taxpayer, but I suspect that the overwhelming majority of New Jerseyans, who are struggling with high property taxes and an array of other financial challenges, would not have voted to spend $1 million of their money to rehabilitate the Governor’s image and reward his friends.

 

Remarkably, the $1 million fee that Garden State residents incurred accrued over just a two month period. Governor Christie brought Gibson Dunn & Crutcher on board in mid-January, which means that they earned an average of $500,000 a month, or $125,000 a week investigating their old pal. Not bad work, if you can get it.

 

Was absolving Governor Christie of any liability relating to Bridgegate at a cost of $1 million worth it? If you were to ask Chris Christie, I would imagine the answer is yes. However, if you were to ask New Jersey taxpayers, I am quite certain that the answer would be a resounding no.

 

Putting aside the exorbitant fee that was paid for the “independent” inquiry commissioned by none other than the Governor himself, the fact is that the only investigation that truly matters is the one being conducted by the U.S. Attorney’s office.

 

Christie’s self-initiated $1 million investigation is glorified window dressing. It is the investigation that is being carried out by the federal government that counts. It remains to be seen whether or not the U.S. Attorney’s office will be as magnanimous to Chris Christie as his hand-picked legal eagles were.

 

N. Aaron Troodler is an attorney and principal of Paul Revere Public Relations, a public relations and political consulting firm. Visit him on the Web at TroodlersTake.blogspot.com, www.PaulReverePR.com, or www.JewishWorldPR.com. You can also follow him on Twitter: @troodler