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Chris Christie: 'I am humiliated' over bridge lane-closing scandal Chris Christie fires top aide over 'unacceptable' bridge lane closure
(about 1 hour later)
Chris Christie, the scandal-hit governor of New Jersey, fired the aide at the heart of a conspiracy to cause traffic chaos near a town controlled by a political opponent on Wednesday, as the US attorney's office in New Jersey opened a federal investigation. Chris Christie, the scandal-hit governor of New Jersey, fired the aide at the heart of a conspiracy to cause traffic chaos near a town controlled by a political opponent on Wednesday, as the state's US attorney opened a federal investigation.
At a press conference in Trenton, New Jersey, Christie issued a humbling apology. "I am embarrassed and humiliated by the conduct of some fo the people on my team.," he said. "There is no doubt in my mind that the conduct they exhibited is completely unacceptable and showed a lack of respect for the appropriate role of government and the people we are trusted to serve". At a press conference in Trenton, New Jersey, Christie issued a humbling apology. "I am embarrassed and humiliated by the conduct of some of the people on my team," he said. "There is no doubt in my mind that the conduct they exhibited is completely unacceptable and showed a lack of respect for the appropriate role of government and the people we are trusted to serve".
Christie confirmed he had fired Bridget Kelly, his deputy chief of staff, whom he said had lied to him about the decision to close the lanes on the approach to the George Washington Bridge.  Christie confirmed he had fired Bridget Kelly, his deputy chief of staff, whom he said had lied to him about the decision to close the lanes on the approach to the George Washington bridge, which links New Jersey with New York.
At the news conference, he said he had no knowledge of the plot to manipulate the traffic flow at the bridge, which resulted in four days of chaos in the lanes that led to the town of Fort Lee, whose Democratic mayor did not endorse Christie, a Republican, for his run for re-election as governor. At the news conference, he said he had no knowledge of the plot to manipulate the traffic flow at the bridge, which resulted in four days of chaos in the lanes that led to the town of Fort Lee, whose Democratic mayor did not endorse Christie, a Republican, during his run for re-election as governor.
"I had no knowledge or involvement in this issue, in its planning or its execution, and I am stunned by the abject stupidity that was shown here. Regardless of what the facts uncover, this was handled in a callous and indifferent way," he said. "I had no knowledge or involvement in this issue, in its planning or its execution, and I am stunned by the abject stupidity that was shown here. Regardless of what the facts uncover, this was handled in a callous and indifferent way," Christie said.
Follow developments on our live blog Emails published this week revealed direct communication between Kelly and a top executive appointed by Christie to the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey, a bi-state organisation that has control over the George Washington bridge. “Time for some traffic problems in Fort Lee,” Kelly wrote from her private email address to the executive, David Wildstein, on 13 August last year, three weeks before several access lanes to the bridge were closed.
“Got it,” replied Wildstein, who was later disclosed to have been the official who ordered the lane closures.
Four days of lane closures caused havoc in Fort Lee, a New Jersey town of 35,000 that sits under the George Washington, which is the world’s busiest bridge. The town has a Democratic mayor, Mark Sokolich, who had declined to endorse Christie for re-election as governor in November, raising speculation that the traffic misery had been inflicted as part of a personal vendetta against him.
The revelations thrust a local transportation issue into a national scandal, raising questions about the ambitious governor's leadership on the eve of a second term designed to jumpstart his road to the White House.
The US attorney in New Jersey, Paul Fishman, said he was "reviewing the matter to determine whether a federal law was implicated." The state legislature is also investigating.
Christie said he would go to Fort Lee later on Thursday to apologise to mayor Sokolich.
Kelly has not commented, and Christie said he had not spoken to her since the emails were released.
Besides firing Kelly, the governor asked a second trusted aide, former campaign manager Bill Stepien, to withdraw from a bid to become the next chairman of the New Jersey Republican party. He said he was disturbed by the "callous indifference" displayed by Stepien in the emails released Wednesday.
Beyond the specifics of the lane closures, critics suggest the incident reflects a darker side of Christie's brand of politics that contradicts the image he'd like to project as he eyes the presidency.
The governor repeatedly sidestepped criticism that he bullied adversaries in an overwhelming re-election victory in November.
"I am not a bully," he said.
The Associated Press contributed to this report
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