Former State Senator Raymond Lesniak who, along with environmental groups appealed Governor Christie’s Settlement with ExxonMobil, announced his OPRA request to obtain information about the extent of damages given up at the 16 ExxonMobil facilities and 1768 gasoline stations that were included in the Settlement that were not part of the litigation and have been kept from the public by both the Christie and Murphy Administrations https://www.google.com/amp/s/newjerseyglobe.com/section-2/lesniak-makes-new-bid-for-exxon-settlement-documents/amp/.

Lesniak said, “Governor Murphy retaining ExxonMobil attorney Ted Wells in the lawsuit filed by George Norcross opened-up an “old wound” and spurred me to pursuit a new effort to determine how much the Christie administration gave away to ExxonMobil in addition to the meager $225 mil. settlement of a $8.9 bil. damage claim.

“I was extremely disappointed Governor Murphy chose to side with Governor Christie and defend his outrageous settlement with the ninth largest corporation in the world, said Lesniak.  “But I was more than disappointed, I was shocked, when Governor Murphy’s DEP continued to keep from the public the extent of the largess Christie gave to ExxonMobil by throwing  in 16 other ExxonMobil facilities and 1768 gasoline stations into the Settlement. I was hopeful the Murphy Administration would not continue the coverup, but my hope was quashed when Murphy’s DEP also denied my OPRA request,” Lesniak added.

Murphy’s decision to defend Christie’s Settlement was also criticized by environmental groups, “We’re disappointed by the ruling, but we’re more disappointed that the Murphy administration wants to grab the settlement to plug holes in the budget,” Tittel said. https://www.nj.com/news/2018/06/nj_supreme_court_declines_to_hear_challenge_to_exx.html

Lesniak explained, “The Murphy administration choose to take the quick $225 mil. in the Settlement to help balance its first budget rather than fight to get billions more in the case and craw back the more than one billion given to ExxonMobil by indefinitely deferring its obligation to remediate  Morses Creek in Linden and by including 16 other facilities and 1768 gasoline stations in the settlement that were not part of the litigation.” https://www.nj.com/opinion/2017/07/how_exxon_willwalkaway_with_1b_fromchristiessettle.html

“The public has a right to know how much money ExxonMobil got from the Settlement on top of the meager amount it had to pay under it,”  Lesniak said.

OPRA request: