Christie-clearing law firm donated $10K to Christie-led group before releasing Christie-exonerating report

Gibson Dunn & Crutcher gave to the Republican Governors Association less than two weeks before unveiling its report

Published April 16, 2014 3:52PM (EDT)

Chris Christie addresses a gathering at a town hall-style meeting, Thursday, March 20, 2014, Flemington, N.J.                               (AP/Matt Rourke)
Chris Christie addresses a gathering at a town hall-style meeting, Thursday, March 20, 2014, Flemington, N.J. (AP/Matt Rourke)

Remember that internal investigation Chris Christie commissioned to look into his involvement in the Bridgegate affair?

The one that reportedly cost taxpayers somewhere around $1 million and found Christie to be totally innocent, while placing the blame on former Christie aide Bridget Kelly (and doing so with the use of a few not-so-veiled sexist tropes)?

The one that Christie and his allies promoted zealously and defended tenaciously, insisting that there was no conflict of interest despite the fact that the firm Christie chose — Gibson Dunn & Crutcher — has a close friend of his, Debra Wong Yang, as a partner?

Well, according to a report from the Bergen Record, it turns out that the law firm donated $10,000 to the Christie-chaired Republican Governors Association less than two weeks before the report was released. The firm did not donate to the Democratic Governors Association during the same timeframe, nor during all of 2013 or 2012.

But, again: No conflict of interest to see here. Move along, folks. Move along.


By Elias Isquith

Elias Isquith is a former Salon staff writer.

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