Emails Show Another Time Christie Aides Put Hoboken Project Over Flood Relief

New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie speaks during a news conference Thursday, Jan. 9, 2014, at the Statehouse in Trenton. Christie has fired a top aide who engineered political payback against a town mayor, saying she lie... New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie speaks during a news conference Thursday, Jan. 9, 2014, at the Statehouse in Trenton. Christie has fired a top aide who engineered political payback against a town mayor, saying she lied. Deputy Chief of Staff Bridget Anne Kelly is the latest casualty in a widening scandal that threatens to upend Christie's second term and likely run for president in 2016. Documents show she arranged traffic jams to punish the mayor, who didn't endorse Christie for re-election. (AP Photo/Mel Evans) MORE LESS
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Emails obtained by the New York Times for a story published Thursday show officials in the administration of New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie (R) made a proposed real estate development the top agenda item at a meeting scheduled to discuss flood relief in Hoboken, N.J.

The May 2013 meeting included Hoboken Mayor Dawn Zimmer and officials from the New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection.

Zimmer has alleged officials from the Christie administration later threatened to withhold Hurricane Sandy aid from her city unless she approved the development, which would be built on land owned by a firm linked to multiple Christie associates, the Rockefeller Group.

On May 8, the day before the meeting, severe rainstorms caused flooding in Hoboken and Zimmer sent a letter to Christie asking for further flood mitigation aid.

According to the Times, Rockefeller Group “sent two executives, two lobbyists and an engineer to the meeting” with Zimmer and NJDEP officials.

A spokesman for Zimmer told the Times the mayor declined to discuss the development project at the meeting.

The next day, according to the report, Zimmer was told that Lt. Gov. Kim Guadagno (R) would be coming to Hoboken the following week for a visit. It was during that visit, Zimmer has alleged, that Guadagno threatened to withhold Hurricane Sandy aid.

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