I knew this wouldn't go away:
http://www.ibtimes.com/...
As chairman of the Republican Governors Association, New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie has helped Charlie Baker with millions of dollars worth of ads supporting his Massachusetts gubernatorial campaign. But that's not the only way he may be boosting the GOP candidate in the final weeks of a close election: Christie officials are blocking the release of the findings of New Jersey's pay-to-play investigation into Baker.
The documents being withheld pertain to an investigation of Baker's $10,000 contribution to the New Jersey Republican State Committee. The contributions came just months before Christie officials gave Baker's company, General Catalyst, a contract to manage New Jersey pension money. New Jersey's pay-to-play rules prohibit contributions to state parties from "any investment management professional associated" with a firm managing state pension money.
When the campaign donations and subsequent pension contract came to light in May, Democrats criticized Baker, who was then launching his 2014 campaign for governor of Massachusetts. In response, New Jersey launched a formal investigation into Baker's contributions. The Newark Star-Ledger reported at the time that Christie officials "said the review would take several weeks."
Five months later, with Baker now neck-and-neck in the polls with Democratic Attorney General Martha Coakley and backed by more than $5 million from the Christie-led RGA, Christie officials have denied an open records request for the findings of the investigation.
In a reply to International Business Times' request for the findings of the audit under New Jersey's Open Public Records Act, Christie's Treasury Department said the request is being denied on the grounds that the documents in question are "consultative and deliberative material." Despite officials' assurances in May that the probe would take only weeks, the New Jersey Treasury said in September that the investigation is still "ongoing" -- a designation the department says lets it to stop the records from being released. - International Business Times, 10/20/14
Here's a little more background info:
http://www.bostonglobe.com/...
Just last week, a Washington-based campaign finance watchdog group, Citizens for Responsibility and Ethics in Washington, called on the Securities and Exchange Commission, the New Jersey attorney general, and the state’s Election Law Enforcement Commission to investigate a possible connection between the donation and the investment.
Here’s a sampling of some of the headlines over the past month: “N.J. pension fund’s investment draws pay-to-play inquiry” is the way the Philadelphia Inquirer’s website, philly.com, headlined its story. “Christie administration to investigate pension investment tied to Massachusetts Republican” topped the story in the Newark Star Ledger. The Asbury Park Press and the Bergen Record covered the meeting with stories detailing the controversy.
The Inquirer website salted the wounds with a huge photo of Christie on a stage with Baker, then the 2010 GOP gubernatorial nominee, when the New Jersey governor came to Massachusetts to campaign for him. It also carried a head-shot of Baker farther on in the story, with the phrase “pay-to-play” in the caption. The controversy is also drawing national media. Businessweek ran a piece about the council’s decision, Fortune magazine has weighed in, and CNN’s website has also followed the story.
Baker’s unexpected introduction into New Jersey’s political furor is just an example of what he can expect to face as reporters and opponents pick through his business dealings since his last campaign for governor in 2010. His role at General Catalyst, as well as his seat on the board of a huge mutual fund, Natixis Global Asset Management, and other companies present some fertile ground. He received more than $100,000 serving on the Ocean Heathcare board and up to $60,000 as a director of Athenahealth, according to a 2013 financial report made to the State Ethics Commission. - Boston Globe, 6/15/14
And a little more info:
http://www.masslive.com/...
The state of New Jersey will reportedly make a 150 percent profit after selling its stake in General Catalyst Partners, a venture capitalist firm linked to Republican nominee for governor of Massachusetts Charlie Baker, amid questions of whether it was part of an illegal political scheme.
Fortune is reporting that the buyer of the $15 million stake is still unclear, but more could be revealed tomorrow. The firm had invested in companies like Snapchat, Kayak and Upromise.
Baker's involvement became the subject of controversy back in May, when it was revealed that his $10,000 donation to the New Jersey Republican committee in 2010, followed by New Jersey's purchase of stake in GCP, may have been against the law.
Baker said he made the donation out of gratitude to Republican Gov. Chris Christie, who stumped for him in his failed gubernatorial campaign to unseat Deval Patrick that year.
The former Harvard Pilgrim Healthcare CEO has denied any wrongdoing, and any real control over the investment choices of CGP, but news reports have suggested that he was more involved than he claimed.
Fortune reports that the arrangement was probably legal under federal regulations. But news and opinion blog PandoDaily argues that it violated a law in New Jersey that reads: "It is a compelling interest of this State to prohibit awarding government contracts to business entities which are also contributors to candidates, political parties and the holders of public office." - MassLive, 9/15/14
Christie is just making Baker look shadier by doing this. We can beat Baker, we just have to make sure voters come out to the polls for Martha Coakley (D. MA). Click here to donate and get involved with her campaign:
http://www.marthacoakley.com/