Jersey City Mayor May Have Also Been Victim of Christie Staff’s Political Revenge
New documents released Monday put more weight on the indications that New Jersey Governor Chris Christie took political revenge on mayors who chose not to endorse him in his 2013 reelection bid. Jersey City’s Democratic Mayor Steven Fulop had allegedly been courted by Christie’s office for an endorsement, but when he said he would not be willing to do so last July, the governor’s office canceled a series of planned meetings in the state’s second-largest city.
“Congratulations, Mayor Elect! What an exciting time for you, and for the city. We’re looking forward to working closely with you and your administration,” Bridget Anne Kelly, who was fired by Christie after ordering lanes of the George Washington bridge be closed to punish Fort Lee Mayor Mark Sokolich, wrote to one of Fulop’s assistants in June. The meetings were abruptly canceled on July 18th, the same day Fulop said he would not endorse Christie’s reelection bid.
“Mayor Fulop believed the cancellations were connected to his decision not to endorse Governor Christie,” the mayor’s spokeswoman told the Wall Street Journal.
At the time of the cancellation, Fulop wrote to one of the top Port Authority commissioners who was scheduled to attend the meeting. “I am not sure if it is a coincidence that your office canceled a meeting several weeks back that seemed to be simultaneous to other political conversations,” Fulop wrote. “Prior to that you were always very responsive and I sincerely hope the two issues are not related.”
You can read more about Governor Christie’s “Bridgegate” scandal here.
[photo via StevenFulop.com]
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