An editorial in yesterday’s Newark Times-Ledger:
When the Assembly’s Bridgegate investigators released thousands of scandal-related phone and e-mail records last week, the most damning were those sent from personal phones and email addresses. The Christie administration, it’s now clear, runs on Gmail.
That’s no accident.
Using private channels for sensitive – even illegal – government business is a common end-run around nosy reporters and pesky open-records laws. Legally, the records are public – but hardly anyone knows to ask for them. In this case, it took a legislative subpoena to shake them loose.
That’s why the New Jersey ACLU has called for Christie to order all public employees to use government email accounts and phones when they conduct public business. He should comply – though it’s hardly more than a baby step toward ending this administration’s pattern of obstruction that includes denying public record requests, refusing to discuss its decisions on controversial issues and hiding top officials – all the way up to Lt. Gov. Kim Guadagno – from questions.
And when reporters tried to track down executives at the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey to answer questions about the George Washington Bridge lane closures, the questions were routed through the New Jersey Governor’s Office – where they were ignored.
Bridgegate is an example of the dangerous shenanigans that fester when powerful people grow accustomed to acting without accountability, and doing the public’s business with no risk of public scrutiny. As long as the Christie administration hides its policies and people from the public eye — using back-channels to plot revenge and conceal their secrets — his promises of accoutability and transparency are nothing more than a joke.
Christie’s second inauguration takes place in less than a week – too little time to build a transparent administration from scratch, but more than enough time to tell his minions to stop hiding behind their Gmail accounts.
“…but more than enough time to tell his minions to stop hiding behind their Gmail accounts…”
Not holding my breath on that.
Slight change of topic, but just thought I would observe –
Where is Donald Trump now, with a bold statement about there is no global warming? Weakening the jet stream sent us the polar vortex express of very cold weather about 8-9 days ago. Lots of messages from the billionaire with the horrible wig about can we “stop the bullshit and admit global warming is a hoax”.
Mr. Bad Wig, have you noticed what’s going on at the big tennis tournament in Australia? 102, 104 – attendance down because of the heat, players passing out and cramping up because of the heat, players not leaving their hotel rooms until it’s time to play because of the heat?
Also, in the last week, south of the equator where it’s summer, have you noticed there were seven (at last count) people dead because of the heat in a town in Argentina? About 113 there. And in the Aussie outback area, they finally got a bit of relief from a steady stream of 122 degree weather. Thought you might like to make note of that.
Haven’t heard from you in a bit, Don. Please keep in touch.
Here’s a bit more “false transparency.” Sen. Sanders wrote the NSA last week and asked if they were spying on him (metadata)? They wrote back and told him that answering the question would be a violation of his 4th Amendment rights. The FBI wants no change when it comes to issuing National Security Letters. Remember that if you get a NSL you may not tell anyone, not even your lawyer. Else you’ll end up in Gitmo. This is the world that the unconstitutional Patriot Act has created for us. Christie and Bridgegate are a sideshow presented to us by the 1% to shift our focus away from “the real deal.” And the rich get more powerful.