Earlier today, I posted Senator Weinberg accuses Christie of Nixonian tactics for using state police to photograph hecklers after the AP reported a man identifying himself as an undercover State Police officer was seen photographing protesters escorted out of one of Governor Christie's Town Hall meetings. I put up a poll, there which is still active. Now the acting state attorney General has ordered the superintendent to stop having the police taking such photographs. "Attorney General to State Police: Stop photographing protesters at Chris Christie town halls.
TRENTON — The acting state attorney general and the State Police superintendent today ordered the State Police to stop photographing protesters at Gov. Chris Christie’s town hall meetings "for security or any other purposes."
Acting Attorney General John Hoffman:
“The State Police is responsible for the safety and security of the Governor and the public at town hall meetings. In doing so, the State Police are careful to guarantee that First Amendment rights are respected and the public — whether expressing positive or negative sentiments toward the Governor and his policies — have ample opportunity to make their positions known. That said, the Colonel and I have instructed the State Police to no longer photograph at these events for security or any other purposes.” ...
The ACLU of New Jersey earlier today called on State Police to “come clean” about photographing people “engaged in First Amendment protected free speech.” With the administration’s about face, the organization urged the immediate destruction of records of the pictures, and the creation of a policy.
I don't believe the State Police have confirmed this was one of their officers.
I'll put up links to my earlier post in a few minutes.
3:14 PM PT: Here's a link and the first section of my post from this morning which you can still take the poll in.
Senator Weinberg accuses Christie of Nixonian tactics for using state police to photograph hecklers
The Star Ledger reports a controversy has arisen over allegations that Governor Christie used state police to photograph hecklers and protestors at his town hall meeting, in Chris Christie prepared for protesters, hecklers at town hall in South River.
A few hours after the town hall ended in South River today, a top state Senate Democrat accused the administration of using a "Nixonian tactic", citing published reports that claimed a state trooper took pictures of protesters escorted from the meeting.
"Having undercover State Police officers taking photos of people who are exercising their right of free expression at the governor’s Town Hall meeting is a Nixonian tactic that has no place in New Jersey or anywhere else in this country," state Sen. Loretta Weinberg (D-Bergen) said in a statement. "I can’t imagine what rationalization the governor would have for allowing this to happen but it comes across as an act of political intimidation."
Both Politicker NJ, and the Associated Press report "a man taking photos of the protestors identified himself a member of the State Police."
A spokesperson for Governor Christie's office would not comment on the allegations and referred questions to the State Police.
In this event around a dozen protesters stood in unison to start shouting:
They rose in unison from their seats, chanting "Governor Christie, we are here to demand, you stop your corrupt uses, of Hurricane Sandy money," an apparent reference to the management of Sandy relief aid.
(The Governor had said earlier) He’s seen it before and had predicted he’d be heckled in his opening remarks.
"I’m a soothsayer," Christie said as State Police officers escorted the protesters out of St. Mary Coptic School.
3:48 PM PT: Please also check out this earlier post.
Federal government approves of study using marijuana to treat PTSD in veterans
3:55 PM PT: The reason I'm urging caution before we jump to the conclusion that this fellow who said he was an undercover police officer was actually an undercover police officer is twofold. First a real undercover police officer would more likely identify himself as someone else.
Secondly, I know from the old days of protesting the Seabrook Nuclear Power Plant with the American Friends Service Committee, that sometimes former, or "wanna-be" LEOs would contract themselves out to the industry for various "shenanigans, such as crowd intimidation, or for their own private intelligence. " Mitt Romney had a fellow dress up like a police officer for crowd control, who was not, when he was Governor of Mass. All, I'm saying is I think we need to be careful about letting our assumption get ahead of what has actually been verified by the reports. Many people seem to be accepting at face value this fellow is a state police officer but I have not seen verification of this yet.
9:38 PM PT: CNN's Steve Kastenbaum reports, Embattled Christie Port Authority appointee abruptly leaves public meeting, some later call for his resignation. Chairmen David Samson recused himself from a public meeting of the Port Authority Wednesday night, just before several lawmakers and members of the general public called on him to resign.
The New York Times, the Star-Ledger in New Jersey and two other newspapers have called for Samson, a former state attorney general and a powerful private lawyer, to step down because they say clients of his firm have benefited from business with the Port Authority.
Newark resident Cassandra Dock was prepared to tell Samson to step down. She instead addressed the remaining members of the board after he left the meeting.
“How do you sit there and allow Mr. Samson, his law firm, to be a part of a lot of things that have gone on over here, contracts, how? How do you do it,” as she pounded the podium.
Executive Pat Foye cryptically refused to make any comments "about any pending investigations," reminding me of a Mad Magazine parody many decades ago, of how politicians torpedo each other while appear to be denying they are saying anything.
Port Authority Executive Director Pat Foye recently told the New York Daily News that Samson “lacked the moral authority” to lead the board.
But Foye was circumspect after Wednesday’s meeting when asked by reporters about Samson and whether he should resign. ... “I’m not going to speak about any pending investigation, and that’s a personal question best left to the chairman,” he said.
"This is behavior that's not acceptable," James Tedesco, a lawmaker from Bergen County, where the lane closures originated, told the Port Authority board. "It is unconscionable for you to sit idly by and to not address what took place."
There seems to be a surge in spontaneous citizen protesters turning out at Town Halls and public meetings expressing increased levels of outrage that New Jersey political leaders are not taking more aggressive actions to get to he bottom of these scandals and resolve them.