And this sole reference to the Hudson Lights project -- the conjectured real reason for the open-ended GW Bridge gridlock -- was in the context of the revolving-door New Jersey Dept known as the IGA.
It was spoken by the Regional Director of the Legislative and Intergovernmental Affairs ("IGA") Matt Mowers. Mr. Mowers described his relationship with Fort Lee Mayor Sokolich, like this -- or rather the lawyers of Gibson & Dunn described Mowers' words, as follows:
[...] Mowers liked Sokolich, and they would occasionally meet for a meal, unrelated to Mowers’ role at IGA and done on Mowers’ own time. During these interactions, Sokolich would talk about his family. Sokolich sometimes discussed his future career plans, including potentially running for State Senator. When asked what issues Sokolich was focused on as the Mayor of Fort Lee, Mowers said that Sokolich would discuss matters pertaining to the George Washington Bridge. Mowers elaborated that Fort Lee’s proximity to the George Washington Bridge impacted Fort Lee’s policing and other needs. Education was another issue that Sokolich often discussed. Mowers and Sokolich would also discuss local issues relevant to the Governor’s agenda, including property tax issues and arbitration reform. When asked if Mowers and Sokolich ever discussed economic development issues, Mowers said that Sokolich was proud of, and would talk about, the Hudson Lights development project.
p275 -- Memo Doc found in this
source post from nj.com.
For some more on the IGA facilitating back-story, and Matt Mowers office-liaison role as its Regional Director, keep reading for more of the Gibson & Dunn "Mowers Memo" low-lights, over the fold ...
p270
To: File
From: Gibson, Dunn & Crutcher LLP
Re: Mowers Interview Memorandum
On February 10, 2014, Matt Mowers was interviewed by Alexander H. Southwell, Avi Weitzman, and Sarah L. Kushner of Gibson Dunn. During the interview, Matt Mowers was represented by Craig Carpenito and Adam Baker of Alston & Bird LLP. All information contained herein was provided by Mowers or as indicated. Mowers has not read or reviewed the memorandum and has not adopted or approved its contents.
[...]
[...] In 2010, Mowers worked full-time for the Governor’s Office in two separate capacities: (1) from approximately January 2010–April 2010, Mowers was an aide for Jim Gilroy, Advance Director; and (2) in or around December 2010, Mowers returned to the Governor’s Office as a Regional Director in the Legislative and Intergovernmental Affairs ("IGA") unit, where he remained until April 2013. At IGA, Mowers’ region included the following counties: Sussex, Morris, Passaic, Essex, Hudson, and Bergen.
[...]
p271
On or around April 19, 2013, Mowers left the Office and joined the Governor’s 2013 reelection campaign (the "Campaign"). On or around November 7, 2013, Mowers left the Campaign, and moved to Manchester, New Hampshire, where he assumed his current position as Executive Director of the New Hampshire Republican Party. Mowers first learned that he had received this position in or around October 2013.
B. Reporting Lines
At IGA, Mowers initially reported to Amanda DePalma, the then-Director of IGA. In or around January 2011, DePalma left the Office and joined the New Jersey Republican State Committee, and Bridget Kelly replaced DePalma as Director of IGA. Thereafter, Mowers reported to Kelly, who reported to Bill Stepien, the Deputy Chief of Staff of IGA.
[...]
p273
F. IGA
1. Overview of IGA
Mowers said that IGA’s function varied depending on the administration. Mowers understood that, under Governor Corzine, for example, IGA was viewed as unit that simply housed campaign employees in between election cycles. During Governor Christie’s 2009 gubernatorial campaign, one issue that arose was local elected officials’ ability to effectively communicate with the State government. As a result, when Christie assumed office, his Administration focused on enhancing IGA’s approach to intergovernmental affairs from a good governance perspective. Under the Christie Administration, IGA was viewed as a vehicle
p274
through which the Governor’s Office could provide constituent-type services to local officials and help local officials cut through bureaucratic red tape, by putting local officials in contact with the relevant State departments and other entities regarding a particular issue. In order to realize this goal, IGA developed working relationships with local officials. When a local official contacted IGA, IGA’s general practice was to explain to the local official that IGA would help put the official in touch with the relevant department and coordinate communications between the two. IGA also communicated with local elected officials on legislative issues pertaining to the Governor’s agenda. As a result, Mowers developed strong relationships with local elected officials. Mowers said that there were approximately 183 mayors in his region, and he communicated with each of these mayors in some capacity.
[...]
p275
II. Chronology of the George Washington Bridge Events
A. Mowers’ and IGA’s Interactions with Fort Lee Mayor Mark Sokolich & Endorsement Efforts
1. Mowers’ Relationship with Mayor Sokolich
[...]
When asked if Mowers and Sokolich ever discussed economic development issues, Mowers said that Sokolich was proud of, and would talk about, the Hudson Lights development project.
[...]
p277
B. The Port Authority’s Interactions with Mayor Sokolich
To Mowers’ knowledge, no one at the Port Authority was tasked with or sought Mayor Sokolich’s endorsement. Mayor Sokolich told Mowers that Baroni was good to work with and responsive to Mayor Sokolich’s requests.
C. August 12, 2013
On August 12, 2013, Mowers was with Sheridan at a coffee shop in Jersey City, waiting to meet with Jersey City Assemblywoman Candace Osborne about Osborne’s potential endorsement of the Governor. Before Osborne arrived, Kelly called Mowers on his cellphone, and they had a brief conversation. Mowers said that the first part of the conversation was fairly casual -- Mowers asked how Kelly’s kids were, and told Kelly that he and Sheridan were in Jersey City, to which Kelly joked that Mowers and Sheridan never invited Kelly to the "fun stuff." Kelly then asked Mowers about the status of Mayor Sokolich’s potential endorsement. Mowers told Kelly that Mayor Sokolich did not intend to endorse the Governor because of his
p278
financial interests, to which Kelly asked if Mowers was certain that Mayor Sokolich would not endorse the Governor. Mowers confirmed to Kelly that that was his understanding. Kelly replied, in sum or in substance, "good, that’s all I needed to know," at which point the conversation ended. At the time, the call did not seem out of the ordinary, as Kelly and Mowers still interacted after Mowers moved to the Campaign, including about the status of potential endorsements of local elected officials. Mowers explained that, in hindsight, it was odd that Kelly asked specifically about Mayor Sokolich’s endorsement at this time because Mowers had not sought his endorsement since the March 2013 meeting. Mowers did not know what prompted Kelly to call him on August 12, 2013, and ask him about Mayor Sokolich’s endorsement. The only other time that Mowers recalled Kelly mentioning Mayor Sokolich’s name was in July 2013, when Kelly asked Mowers whether he had heard from a number of mayors recently because Kelly was concerned that Ridley was lying about meeting with mayors, including Sokolich. Mowers thought that he responded that he had not recently spoken to Mayor Sokolich or the other mayors Kelly mentioned.
D. August 13, 2013
Mowers did not see, and was not otherwise aware of, Kelly’s August 13, 2013 email to Wildstein about "traffic problems" before it was made public in January 2014.
E. September 9-13, 2013 -- The George Washington Bridge Lane Realignment
Mowers did not recall hearing about the lane realignment before or during September 9-13, 2013. When asked about a September 9, 2013, email from Kelly to Mowers in which Kelly asked if Mowers had heard from Sokolich in a while, Mowers said that this email did not seem unusual to him at the time for the same reason that Kelly’s August 12th call also seemed innocuous. Mowers responded to Kelly, in sum or in substance, that he had not heard from Sokolich in a while.
[...]
[Memo snippets and emphasis added by this poster.]
Here's a puzzler: if Mowers were surprised by Kelly's sudden interest in the Sokolich endorsement, why was he was not surprised when Kelly called him -- on his cell-phone -- to chat casually, before directly asking for the Sokolich verdict?
It seems Matt Mowers was used to having his former boss, check in on him often, regarding his many IGA duties and responsibilities. With some "183 mayors" he was "cutting red tape for" afterall, you'd think his bosses Kelly and Stepien, would have the occasional "direct question" or two?
Perhaps even a few questions about certain Mayors' personal career ambitions, too? That would not be such a "Hudson Lights," half-billion-dollar development stretch, now would it?
Long as they were in the business of 'cutting tape' ... and all that.