Christie's office denies Sandy aid tied to politics

Republican Gov. Chris Christie's administration pushed back Monday against a claim that Superstorm Sandy relief funding was withheld from a severely flooded city because its Democratic mayor wouldn't sign off on a politically connected real estate venture.

Lt. Gov. Kim Guadagno strongly denied Hoboken Mayor Dawn Zimmer's claims as "false" and "illogical" on Monday, the day before Christie's second-term inauguration.

And Marc Ferzan, executive director of the Governor's Office of Recovery and Rebuilding, told reporters in a conference call that Hoboken has been treated no differently than other cities with respect to storm relief funds.

Zimmer said on Saturday that Guadagno pulled her aside at a supermarket opening in May and said Hoboken's storm recovery funds hinged on Zimmer's approval of a commercial development whose lawyer and lobbyist are close to the governor.

On Sunday, Zimmer told CNN the ultimatum was delivered on behalf of Gov. Christie, a possible 2016 presidential candidate.

On Monday, speaking to CNN's Anderson Cooper, she said she had hesitated to bring up the issue earlier because "I didn't think people would believe me." 

Guadagno said the mayor's description of the conversation "is not only false but is illogical and does not withstand scrutiny when all of the facts are examined."

"Any suggestion that Sandy funds were tied to the approval of any project in New Jersey is completely false," she said.

Zimmer met with investigators from the U.S. attorney's office for several hours on Sunday and gave them journal entries she said were made at the time of the conversation.

She also has offered to take a lie-detector test or testify under oath.

Christie administration official Ferzan, during his conference call, said claims that Hoboken received less than its fair share of disaster aid were a "mischaracterization."

Superstorm Sandy, which was spawned in October 2012 when Hurricane Sandy merged with two other weather systems, killed people in 10 states, but New Jersey and New York were hit the hardest. The storm is New Jersey's worst natural disaster.

Ferzan said the state has received more than $14 billion in requests statewide for Hazard Mitigation grants but has only about $300 million to disburse.

Christie administration officials have said Hoboken has requested more than $100 million in such funding.

Ferzan added that the state has tried to prioritize its funding and programs to address the "communities most in need" and purposely directed most of the recovery funding toward homeowners, business owners and renters.

Federal authorities and state legislators are investigating another scandal involving the Christie administration — allegations that the governor's top aides orchestrated traffic jams in Fort Lee by blocking off lanes to the George Washington Bridge, which connects to New York City, possibly to punish the town's Democratic mayor for not endorsing the governor for re-election.

Assemblyman John Wisniewski, a former chairman of the state Democratic Party who is leading a legislative probe, said the new allegations may be part of a pattern of abuses of power in the Christie administration and would be treated seriously.

Republicans called the investigation partisan and called on Wisniewski to step down. Wisniewski said the investigation by his bipartisan panel would continue.

Nine-time Olympic gold medalist Carl Lewis appeared to buttress the Democrats' concerns, saying he also had experienced retribution from the governor's office.

Lewis said Christie dropped a plan to appoint him the state's first physical fitness ambassador when he launched a political campaign against a Christie friend.

Lewis, a Democrat, said Christie called personally to dissuade him from entering the 2011 state Senate race.

Lewis withdrew from the Senate race after a court ruled he didn't meet a residency requirement.

"The governor put his people together to get me out of the race," said Lewis, who now lives in Houston.

The Christie administration didn't immediately return an email message from The Associated Press seeking comment on what Lewis said.

Community Affairs Commissioner Richard Constable, a member of Christie's cabinet and a second official Zimmer said repeated the Sandy threat at a separate event in May, also issued a statement denying the mayor's claims.

"Mayor Zimmer's allegations are patently false and absurd on their face," Constable said through a spokeswoman.

Al Jazeera and The Associated Press