On today's episode of "As the New Jersey Worm Turns" ... we catch up with the NJ investigators who are only getting half of what they wanted -- if even that much.
Bridge scandal panel gets list of 75 people interviewed as part of Christie's review
by Christopher Baxter, The Star-Ledger; nj.com -- April 11, 2014
The legislative committee investigating the George Washington Bridge lane closings today received a list of 75 names of people who were interviewed by the private law firm that conducted an internal review of Gov. Chris Christie's office.
The committee had given the firm, Gibson, Dunn & Crutcher, until today to turn over the list as well as any records of the interviews. But Assemblyman John Wisniewski (D-Middlesex), a co-chairman of the panel, said the deadline had been extended until Monday.
[...]
Wisniewski has said the committee would issue a subpoena for the records if they are not voluntarily turned over by the law firm. He has also said it was his understanding the interviews were not recorded or preserved in verbatim transcripts, but rather were summarized by the Gibson, Dunn & Crutcher attorneys who performed them.
Loretta Weinberg was just interviewed by MSNBC's Alex Wagner about this.
Assemblywoman Weinberg said they had just received the 70 names they had asked for, and not much else. She doesn't believe the transcripts of the witness interviews even exist. If they are lucky they might eventually get the Mastro team "notes" concerning the 70 witness interviews (the interview memos).
Due to this lack of professional documentation, Assemblywoman Weinberg insists on referring to the Gibson, Dunn & Crutcher report as "the so-called investigation." She said the report reads more like a defense lawyer's summary statement to a Jury, than it does any kind of official fact-finding report.
Apparently their lack of detailed records when talking to the witnesses, kind of bothers her. As it should all credible journalists.
Here are a few more relevant details about today's Bridgegate investigation "worm-turning" news:
Requested List Released to Bridgegate Legislative Panel
by Associated Press, nj1015.com -- April 11, 2014
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The lawyers from Gibson, Dunn & Crutcher have until Monday to give over the memos.
The list has not been made the public.
[...]
And one more ...
Christie Lawyers Release Interview List To Legislative Panel
by philadelphia.CBSlocal.com -- April 11, 2014
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The co-chairs, Sen. Loretta Weinberg and Assemblyman John Wisniewski, have given the lawyers from Gibson, Dunn & Crutcher a noon Monday deadline to turn over the memos.
“We’ll review what they provide and decide our next steps,” Weinberg and Wisniewski said in a joint statement Friday afternoon.
[...]
Mastro’s team did not interview any of the people the report concluded were responsible.
[...]
The Gibson, Dunn & Crutcher "so-called" report, with its apparent lack of detailed records when talking to the witnesses -- and its complete failure to talk to any of "the people responsible for the Lane Re-alignments" in their estimation, should bother a lot of people. Especially "so-called" credible journalists.
What ever happened to "getting to the bottom of the story" as Christie had once promised? Christie should have said "getting to the bottom of the story his alibi" instead.
That would have been more in holding in line with, the Christie version of the truth "what really happened" ... on his watch ... under his command. As if we'll ever see Christie's lawyers "get to the bottom" of that deleted story-line.