New Jersey governor, and possible 2016 GOP candidate Chris Christie, is under fire. A set of subpoenaed emails indicate that people on his staff closed the BridgeGate as political retribution.
Back in September, two of the three lanes of the George Washington bridge, which connect Fort Lee, NJ to New York City, were closed by the New Jersey and New York City Port Authority. The closures were approved by David Wildstein, Christie’s appointee to the Port Authority, for a traffic study. An investigation ensued after the closures caused major delays in paramedic response times, and school buses; Fort Lee turned into, what citizens called, a parking lot.
On Wednesday, emails and messages between the Port Authority and Christie’s staff were released. They show that the closings was possibly orchestrated against Fort Lee mayor, Mark Sokolich, because he did not support the governor for reelection.
The messages back up allegations made against the governor that the closings were Christie’s way of enacting “revenge” on Sokolich.
“Time for some traffic problems in Fort Lee,” wrote Bridget Kelly, one of Christie’s deputy chiefs of staff in an email to Wildstein on August 13. “Got it” was his reply.
The emails show that Robert Durando, George Washington bridges general manager, emailed Wildstein saying that Patrick Foye, executive director of the Port Authority, asked about the study and why he wasn’t told. Later that day, Wildstein wrote to Kelly: “the New York side gave Fort Lee back all three lanes this morning. We are appropriately going nuts. Samson helping us to retaliate.” The message refers to David Samson, who is the chair of the Port Authority.
After roughly 3000 pages were released by the NJ General Assembly, emails made national news on Wednesday after their release. Christ Christie had a face to face apology with Mayor Sokolich and the people of Fort Lee, and says that his staff lied to him. On Thursday, the governor held a press conference apologizing again for his staff’s actions, and said he had fired top aide Bridget Kelly.
“He was pretty specific about what he knew and when he knew it,” said CNN analyst Gloria Borger on The Lead with Jake Tapper.
That same day he was questioned by journalists.
“I am not a focus-group tested, blow-dried candidate or governor…I have worked for the last 12 years in public life developing a reputation for honesty and directness and blunt talk, one that I think is well-deserved,…But, you know, when something like this happens, it is appropriate for you to question yourself. And certainly I am, and I am soul searching on this.” said the Governor.
New Jersey legislatures are investigating the scandal, and some Fort Lee citizens have already filed lawsuits against the governor. Both the Port Authority’s inspector-general, and state Senator Barbara Buono, who was Christie’s opponent back in November, have asked federal authorities to step in.
