Some new reporting from The Asbury Park Press on the Sandy commercial.
"New documents obtained by the Asbury Park Press show the Christie administration is hiding details of the $25 million “Stronger Than the Storm” advertising campaign, which now is the center of a federal probe."
"Pallone said he requested a federal review in August following a Press investigation that revealed the two finalists for the contract had different views on how the campaign to boost tourism at the Jersey Shore should be run following the 2012 storm. MWW proposed putting Christie in the ads. The other bidder, a team headed by the Sigma Group, did not. MWW won the contract.
There was another difference between the firms. MWW had made 234 corporate contributions totaling $201,300 to candidates and political committees from both parties in New Jersey since 1987. Sigma was not politically active."
"The state Economic Development Authority was asked in the public records request for the score sheets from the six members of the evaluation committee that awarded the contract to MWW.
The newspaper received the sheets, but the names of the evaluators were blacked out, making it impossible to learn whose votes helped swing the contract award to MWW. The state declined to provide a reason for redacting the names."
New documents show Christie office hiding details of storm TV ads