In a press conference Thursday morning, New Jersey Governor Chris Christie said his staff lied to him about their involvement in the George Washington Bridge lane closure scandal.
Emails released yesterday show that when the mayor of Fort Lee, NJ failed to endorse Gov. Christie in his bid for re-election, Bridget Kelly, a Christie aide, pinged top Port Authority official David Wildstein with a simple request: "Time for some traffic problems in Fort Lee."
One month later, Wildstein ordered traffic lanes from Fort Lee closed for a traffic study. The closure of these lanes on the George Washington Bridge—which is one of the busiest in the nation—caused mass gridlock. Emergency responders were also delayed in attending to four medical situations.
"I'm just stunned," said Gov. Christie, the charismatic Republican who has been steadily making a name for himself on the national stage. "I had no knowledge or involvement in this issue, in its planning or execution."
Gov. Christie apologized to the people of New Jersey, saying that he was embarrassed and humiliated by the conduct of the members of his team. The governor also announced that he had fired Bridget Kelly, a deputy chief of staff, calling her “stupid” and “deceitful” at the conference.
"I am heartbroken that somebody I permitted to be in my circle of trust for the past five years betrayed that trust," said the governor.
Joining The Takeaway to explain these revelations is Todd Zwillich, The Takeaway's Washington correspondent.
