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| Christie knew of traffic lane closures as they happened, former official says | Christie knew of traffic lane closures as they happened, former official says |
| (35 minutes later) | |
| New Jersey governor Chris Christie’s political problems surrounding the closure of traffic lanes over the George Washington bridge may have taken a dramatic turn for the worse on Friday, after a lawyer for one of the key figures in the scandal accused him of knowing of the apparent act of retribution as it happened. | New Jersey governor Chris Christie’s political problems surrounding the closure of traffic lanes over the George Washington bridge may have taken a dramatic turn for the worse on Friday, after a lawyer for one of the key figures in the scandal accused him of knowing of the apparent act of retribution as it happened. |
| A lawyer representing David Wildstein, the former Port Authority official who ordered the closures, sent the agency a letter in which he pulled the governor closer to the heart of the scandal. Christie has consistently and repeatedly denied any prior knowledge of the lane closures that inflicted four days of traffic hell on the town of Fort Lee, whose Democratic mayor had declined to endorse him for re-election. | A lawyer representing David Wildstein, the former Port Authority official who ordered the closures, sent the agency a letter in which he pulled the governor closer to the heart of the scandal. Christie has consistently and repeatedly denied any prior knowledge of the lane closures that inflicted four days of traffic hell on the town of Fort Lee, whose Democratic mayor had declined to endorse him for re-election. |
| Late on Friday, in response to the publication of the letter, the Christie administration released a statement repeating the governor's denial of knowledge of the lane closures. | |
| In the letter, first obtained by the New York Times, lawyer Alan Zegas alleges that the lane closures were the “Christie administration’s order”. He goes on to write that “evidence exists as well tying Mr Christie to having knowledge of the lane closures, during the period when the lanes were closed, contrary to what the governor stated publicly”. | In the letter, first obtained by the New York Times, lawyer Alan Zegas alleges that the lane closures were the “Christie administration’s order”. He goes on to write that “evidence exists as well tying Mr Christie to having knowledge of the lane closures, during the period when the lanes were closed, contrary to what the governor stated publicly”. |
| Three weeks ago, in a now-famous two-hour press conference, the governor insisted he only knew about the closures after they had happened. He told reporters at that event that “I had no knowledge of this – of the planning, the execution or anything about it – and that I first found out about it after it was over. And even then, what I was told was that it was a traffic study.” | Three weeks ago, in a now-famous two-hour press conference, the governor insisted he only knew about the closures after they had happened. He told reporters at that event that “I had no knowledge of this – of the planning, the execution or anything about it – and that I first found out about it after it was over. And even then, what I was told was that it was a traffic study.” |
| The full statement issued by the Christie administration on Friday read: “Mr Wildstein’s lawyer confirms what the governor has said all along: he had absolutely no prior knowledge of the lane closures before they happened and whatever Mr Wildstein’s motivations were for closing them to begin with. As the governor said in a December 13th press conference, he only first learned lanes were closed when it was reported by the press and, as he said in his January 9th press conference, had no indication that this was anything other than a traffic study until he read otherwise the morning of January 8th. | |
| “The governor denies Mr Wildstein’s lawyer’s other assertions.” | |
| Wildstein, who resigned in December in response to the scandal, has long been seen as a central element of the investigation. A Christie appointee to the Port Authority, which controls the bridge, Wildstein instigated the lane closures. | Wildstein, who resigned in December in response to the scandal, has long been seen as a central element of the investigation. A Christie appointee to the Port Authority, which controls the bridge, Wildstein instigated the lane closures. |
| The most incendiary aspect of the scandal so far was the public release earlier this month of an email exchange between Wildstein and Christie’s then deputy chief of staff, Bridget Kelly, in which she told him: “Time for some traffic problems in Fort Lee.” | The most incendiary aspect of the scandal so far was the public release earlier this month of an email exchange between Wildstein and Christie’s then deputy chief of staff, Bridget Kelly, in which she told him: “Time for some traffic problems in Fort Lee.” |
| In the letter, Zegas expresses a sense of betrayal on the part of Wildstein towards Christie, his former boss who was also his high-school classmate. “Mr Wildstein contests the accuracy of various statements that the governor made about him and he can prove the inaccuracy of some,” Zegas writes. | In the letter, Zegas expresses a sense of betrayal on the part of Wildstein towards Christie, his former boss who was also his high-school classmate. “Mr Wildstein contests the accuracy of various statements that the governor made about him and he can prove the inaccuracy of some,” Zegas writes. |
| In appearances in front of investigative hearings of the New Jersey assembly, Wildstein has refused to say anything, pleading his fifth-amendment right against self-incrimination. But Zegas, an experienced New Jersey criminal defence lawyer, has indicated that his client would be prepared to co-operate in return for immunity from prosecution. | In appearances in front of investigative hearings of the New Jersey assembly, Wildstein has refused to say anything, pleading his fifth-amendment right against self-incrimination. But Zegas, an experienced New Jersey criminal defence lawyer, has indicated that his client would be prepared to co-operate in return for immunity from prosecution. |
| The ostensible purpose of the newly-released letter was a complaint from Wildstein’s legal team to the Port Authority over its refusal to cover his legal fees in relation to ongoing legislative investigations. On Monday, the New Jersey legislature formed a committee that has promised to pursue the scandal “wherever the evidence leads”. | The ostensible purpose of the newly-released letter was a complaint from Wildstein’s legal team to the Port Authority over its refusal to cover his legal fees in relation to ongoing legislative investigations. On Monday, the New Jersey legislature formed a committee that has promised to pursue the scandal “wherever the evidence leads”. |