More trouble brewing...

The GOP governor is being hit by a barrage of new inquiries about the state's use of Hurricane Sandy relief money.

New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie, already embroiled in a scandal over his aides’ alleged political payback plan to cause a traffic jam in Fort Lee, is being hit by a barrage of new inquiries about his use of Hurricane Sandy relief money.

Democratic Reps. Frank Pallone and Bill Pascrell Jr. –both of New Jersey – are calling for a federal probe into the state’s dealing with a New Orleans-based firm that was  hired to oversee the divvying up of approximately $600 million in federal homeowner relief following Hurricane Sandy.

The $68 million deal, made in May with Hammerman & Gainer Inc., was “suddenly” cancelled Dec. 6 without any reason, the two congressman said in a letter to U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development Secretary Shaun Donovan.

The two congressmen also want an independent monitor to look into the state’s usage of disaster recovery fund, concerned it was being “recklessly mismanaged.”

Christie’s spokesperson referred all inquiries to the state’s Department of Community Affairs. Lisa Ryan, a spokeswoman there, told msnbc that the decision to end the relationship with the firm was “mutual” and “coordinated and efficient with no interruption in services.” Ryan added: “We will continue to cooperate with HUD in any and all reviews of Sandy CDBG Disaster Recovery programs that are administered to help Sandy-impacted residents and communities recover and rebuild. We are confident any review will show the State continues to manage Sandy recovery funds in the best interests of the people of New Jersey.”

Christie is already being audited by HUD for the potential misuse of Hurricane Sandy relief money to produce tourism ads featuring his family during his bed for a second term in office. To make matters worse, a new report alleges Christie helped direct $6 million in Sandy aid to a senior center and housing project in Belleville, a community not hit particularly hard by the storm. According to the Star-Ledger, Christie helped shortly before the town’s Democratic mayor endorsed Christie.

For Subscribers

FOR SUBSCRIBERSAbdul El-Sayed tries to woo MAHA voters as Democrats seek inroads with RFK’s supporters

FOR SUBSCRIBERSKratom-like substances are popping up in a typically benign supplement

FOR SUBSCRIBERSGOP super PAC increases its spending for Sen. Jon Husted in tough Ohio race

FOR SUBSCRIBERSRecords reveal tumultuous marriage between slain New York Times executive and wife

FOR SUBSCRIBERSFrom clean energy warrior to ‘wall of shame,’ James Talarico reverses on a fossil fuel money pledge

FOR SUBSCRIBERSCongressional staff planned official trip with luxury stops in Italy and France weeks before election

FOR SUBSCRIBERSA harrowing ordeal aboard an Israel-bound plane

FOR SUBSCRIBERSOpenAI CEO Sam Altman to skip congressional hearing on rogue AI agents

FOR SUBSCRIBERSKey DOJ lawyers departed Trump ‘grand conspiracy’ probe amid pressure to produce, source says

FOR SUBSCRIBERSTrump’s new AI chatbot often links to a site launched under Clinton 26 years ago

FOR SUBSCRIBERSAt MAHA summit, industry CEOs the movement once vilified take the stage

FOR SUBSCRIBERSThis Paralympian has two goals: Win medals and give away $500,000 to her teammates

FOR SUBSCRIBERSCornell rape allegation spotlights stringent New York state laws that have long drawn criticism

FOR SUBSCRIBERSThe debate over AI’s future rages on both coasts

FOR SUBSCRIBERSDecades-old march dispute reignites in Northern Ireland, threatening political crisis

Christie officials, according to the newspaper, claimed the construction would help those nearby who were hit by the storm, but the newspaper found when the project was unveiled, the hurricane itself was barely mentioned.

For Subscribers

FOR SUBSCRIBERSAbdul El-Sayed tries to woo MAHA voters as Democrats seek inroads with RFK’s supporters

FOR SUBSCRIBERSKratom-like substances are popping up in a typically benign supplement

FOR SUBSCRIBERSGOP super PAC increases its spending for Sen. Jon Husted in tough Ohio race

FOR SUBSCRIBERSRecords reveal tumultuous marriage between slain New York Times executive and wife

FOR SUBSCRIBERSFrom clean energy warrior to ‘wall of shame,’ James Talarico reverses on a fossil fuel money pledge

FOR SUBSCRIBERSCongressional staff planned official trip with luxury stops in Italy and France weeks before election

FOR SUBSCRIBERSA harrowing ordeal aboard an Israel-bound plane

FOR SUBSCRIBERSOpenAI CEO Sam Altman to skip congressional hearing on rogue AI agents

FOR SUBSCRIBERSKey DOJ lawyers departed Trump ‘grand conspiracy’ probe amid pressure to produce, source says

FOR SUBSCRIBERSTrump’s new AI chatbot often links to a site launched under Clinton 26 years ago

FOR SUBSCRIBERSAt MAHA summit, industry CEOs the movement once vilified take the stage

FOR SUBSCRIBERSThis Paralympian has two goals: Win medals and give away $500,000 to her teammates

FOR SUBSCRIBERSCornell rape allegation spotlights stringent New York state laws that have long drawn criticism

FOR SUBSCRIBERSThe debate over AI’s future rages on both coasts

FOR SUBSCRIBERSDecades-old march dispute reignites in Northern Ireland, threatening political crisis

Christie is proceeding as if it’s business as usual in the lead up to Sunday’s Super Bowl in the Garden State. Christie and New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio – who has criticized the lane closures as “immoral” – made a  joint appearance in Jersey City for a Super Bowl kick-off concert on Monday, where the two were seen joking and chatting with their arms around each other.  And on Wednesday, the governor held a press conference to discuss his efforts to prevent sex trafficking at the Super Bowl. He did not take questions.

A new NBC/Wall Street Journal survey shows Christie’s popularity has taken a beating since so-called Bridgegate. Christie has apologized, but denied involvement or knowledge about the scheme. According to the poll, 29% have a negative impression of the Republican, compared to 22% having a positive one. Back in October, before the allegations blew up, 33% had a positive view while 17% had a negative one. And compared to the NBC/Marist poll two weeks ago, the number of Americans who believe Christie is lying has gone up. Now 44% believe the governor is lying, compared to 33%. The poll was taken before the latest allegations.

At the time, Christie’s handling of Hurricane Sandy won him praise from the public, press, and fellow politicians. But now the storm seems to have damaged not just his state but his own standing.