"A New Jersey judge has rejected a plea from environmental groups to intervene in a pollution settlement Gov. Chris Christie (R) negotiated.

The Natural Resources Defense Council, the New Jersey Sierra Club and others asked to step in to argue against court approval of Christie’s $225 million settlement with Exxon Mobil Corp. for polluting more than a dozen sites across the state.

Exxon Mobil had been charged with environmental violations worth up to $8.9 billion, but agreed to settle for far less earlier this year in a deal that Christie, a presidential candidate, helped reach. The settlement is subject to court approval."

Timothy Cama reports for The Hill July 13, 2015. [2]