NJ Democrat lawmaker on traffic scandal: 'I do think laws have been broken'
New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie is embroiled in the controversy over what appears to be political payback from his last gubernatorial campaign. Christie hasn't been tied to the scandal, but aides and appointees have been accused of closing lanes on the George Washington Bridge to punish the mayor of Fort Lee, who didn't endorse Christie.
Christie fired Bridget Anne Kelly, who had been his deputy chief of staff, when her e-mail ordering the lane closings emerged. In his news conference on Thursday, Christie said he was "embarrassed and humiliated" by the "abject stupidity" of the move.
Christie fired Bridget Anne Kelly, who had been his deputy chief of staff, when her e-mail ordering the lane closings emerged. In his news conference on Thursday, Christie said he was "embarrassed and humiliated" by the "abject stupidity" of the move.
David Wildstein, who apparently carried out Bridget Kelly's orders, is under investigation by a state Assembly committee looking into the scandal. The committee charged Wildstein with contempt for failing to answer its questions. Wildstein resigned from his top-level position with the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey in December.
David Wildstein, who apparently carried out Bridget Kelly's orders, is under investigation by a state Assembly committee looking into the scandal. The committee charged Wildstein with contempt for failing to answer its questions. Wildstein resigned from his top-level position with the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey in December.
Mark Sokolich, the mayor of Fort Lee, called the lane closings a "venomous form of political retaliation." After a face-to-face meeting with Christie following his news conference, Sokolich said the governor was
"gracious and apologetic" but said that "we're concerned there is more stuff and more issues to deal with." New Jersey Democratic Assemblyman John Wisniewski chairs the Transportation Committee that is investigating the scandal. Wisniewski says Christie "has a lot of explaining to do." Michael Drewniak, Christie's spokesman, told reporters early in the investigation: "The governor of the state of New Jersey does not involve himself in traffic studies," which is what David Wildstein had said the lane closings were for. Bill Baroni was executive deputy director of the Port Authority until he resigned amid the scandal in December. Christie said that Baroni accepted responsibility for not following the right protocols in approving the traffic study initially blamed by the administration for the lane closures. David Samson, Port Authority chairman, said the PA's board had no knowledge of the lane closings until they were lifted five days later. "I am extremely upset and distressed over today's disclosures," Samson, a Christie appointee, said in a statement after learning of the closings. Patrick Foye, the executive director of the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey, said the George Washington Bridge lane closures didn't follow protocols and ordered them reopened. Jersey City Mayor Steven Fulop, a Democrat who also didn't endorse Chris Christie, has raised his own suspicions about his cooled relationship with the administration and a suddenly tabled bill he was sponsoring in Trenton. New Jersey Senate Majority Leader Loretta Weinberg, a Democrat, has been pressing for information about the scandal and has introduced a measure in the Legislature asking Congress to restructure the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey, which operates bridges and tunnels, to ensure transparency. Democrat Barbara Buono is a New Jersey state Senator who challenged Chris Christie this past November. She derided him during the campaign as representing "the worst combination of bully and bossism" and brought up the lane closures as an example. She lost in a landslideThe Democratic New Jersey legislator leading an investigation into Republican Gov. Chris Christie's administration says he believes laws were broken when the governor's aides ordered lane closures at the nation's busiest bridge.
Mark Sokolich, the mayor of Fort Lee, called the lane closings a "venomous form of political retaliation." After a face-to-face meeting with Christie following his news conference, Sokolich said the governor was "gracious and apologetic" but said that "we're concerned there is more stuff and more issues to deal with." New Jersey Democratic Assemblyman John Wisniewski chairs the Transportation Committee that is investigating the scandal. Wisniewski says Christie "has a lot of explaining to do." Michael Drewniak, Christie's spokesman, told reporters early in the investigation: "The governor of the state of New Jersey does not involve himself in traffic studies," which is what David Wildstein had said the lane closings were for. Bill Baroni was executive deputy director of the Port Authority until he resigned amid the scandal in December. Christie said that Baroni accepted responsibility for not following the right protocols in approving the traffic study initially blamed by the administration for the lane closures. David Samson, Port Authority chairman, said the PA's board had no knowledge of the lane closings until they were lifted five days later. "I am extremely upset and distressed over today's disclosures," Samson, a Christie appointee, said in a statement after learning of the closings. Patrick Foye, the executive director of the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey, said the George Washington Bridge lane closures didn't follow protocols and ordered them reopened. Jersey City Mayor Steven Fulop, a Democrat who also didn't endorse Chris Christie, has raised his own suspicions about his cooled relationship with the administration and a suddenly tabled bill he was sponsoring in Trenton. New Jersey Senate Majority Leader Loretta Weinberg, a Democrat, has been pressing for information about the scandal and has introduced a measure in the Legislature asking Congress to restructure the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey, which operates bridges and tunnels, to ensure transparency. Democrat Barbara Buono is a New Jersey state Senator who challenged Chris Christie this past November. She derided him during the campaign as representing "the worst combination of bully and bossism" and brought up the lane closures as an example. She lost in a landslideThe Democratic New Jersey legislator leading an investigation into Republican Gov. Chris Christie's administration says he believes laws were broken when the governor's aides ordered lane closures at the nation's busiest bridge.
New Jersey Democratic Assemblyman John Wisniewski chairs the Transportation Committee that is investigating the scandal. Wisniewski says Christie "has a lot of explaining to do."
Michael Drewniak, Christie's spokesman, told reporters early in the investigation: "The governor of the state of New Jersey does not involve himself in traffic studies," which is what David Wildstein had said the lane closings were for.
Bill Baroni was executive deputy director of the Port Authority until he resigned amid the scandal in December. Christie said that Baroni accepted responsibility for not following the right protocols in approving the traffic study initially blamed by the administration for the lane closures.
David Samson, Port Authority chairman, said the PA's board had no knowledge of the lane closings until they were lifted five days later. "I am extremely upset and distressed over today's disclosures," Samson, a Christie appointee, said in a statement after learning of the closings.
Patrick Foye, the executive director of the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey, said the George Washington Bridge lane closures didn't follow protocols and ordered them reopened.
Jersey City Mayor Steven Fulop, a Democrat who also didn't endorse Chris Christie, has raised his own suspicions about his cooled relationship with the administration and a suddenly tabled bill he was sponsoring in Trenton.
New Jersey Senate Majority Leader Loretta Weinberg, a Democrat, has been pressing for information about the scandal and has introduced a measure in the Legislature asking Congress to restructure the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey, which operates bridges and tunnels, to ensure transparency.
Democrat Barbara Buono is a New Jersey state Senator who challenged Chris Christie this past November. She derided him during the campaign as representing "the worst combination of bully and bossism" and brought up the lane closures as an example. She lost in a landslideThe Democratic New Jersey legislator leading an investigation into Republican Gov. Chris Christie's administration says he believes laws were broken when the governor's aides ordered lane closures at the nation's busiest bridge.
"I do think laws have been broken," said State Assemblyman John Wisniewski, who's also deputy speaker. "Public resources -- the bridge, police officers -- all were used for a political purpose, for some type of retribution, and that violates the law."
Legislators need to "make sure any violations of law are addressed," Wisniewski told CNN on Saturday.
Christie, who had no public activities scheduled for Saturday, and his spokesman couldn't be immediately reached for comment.
Meanwhile, New Jersey Assembly Speaker-elect Vincent Prieto, a Democrat, will call a special session Thursday so lawmakers can vote on extending the subpoena power of the investigation led by Wisniewski, Prieto said.
The past week's revelations "clearly show the need for a continued thorough investigation by the New Jersey General Assembly," Prieto said. "Many questions remain unanswered about this threat to public safety and abuse of power."
Even while Democrats call to expand the investigation, Florida Republicans confirmed Saturday that Christie will visit that state next week to raise money for the re-election effort of Gov. Rick Scott.
"Yes, Christie will be here next weekend, and we are looking forward to it," Florida GOP spokesperson Susan Hepworth said.
In New Jersey, Wisniewski said the legislative committee's investigation into the scandal "would be made immeasurably simpler if the governor's office said, 'Please tell us what you'd like. We'll turn over all those documents.'"
"If the governor really meant what he said, that he wants to get to the bottom of it ... it would only be fair for him to make those documents available," Wisniewski said.
On Friday, the New Jersey State Assembly committee investigating the George Washington Bridge scandal released more than 2,000 pages of documents suggesting politics was behind the lane closures and showing top Christie aides tried to stonewall media inquiries into the matter.
Christie, a potential presidential candidate in 2016, has strongly denied involvement in how his aides ordered the lane closures at the bridge as revenge against a neighboring Democrat mayor who refused to endorse Christie in his successful gubernatorial campaign last November.
The state legislative committee has yet to find any documents indicating Christie was involved in the lane closures, Wisniewski said Saturday.
But Wisniewski charged that it "just strains believability" that Christie had no knowledge of how his staff orchestrated the lane closures, which created public safety hazards in Fort Lee, New Jersey, where Mayor Mark Sokolich had opposed Christie's re-election effort.
Wisniewski also suggested that retribution against the Fort Lee mayor was the motive behind the lane closures to the bridge, which connects New Jersey and New York, from September 9 to September 13.
"I think anything's possible," Wisniewski said. "One thing's clear: The anger that was displayed [...] by people in the governor's circle after the lane closure was terminated.
"Why are they so angry? Why are they so mad at this process being shut down," Wisniewski asked.
Christie this week fired his deputy chief of staff, Bridget Anne Kelly, for her role in the lane closure, which was captured in e-mail correspondence that was subpoenaed by Democrats investigating the matter.
The e-mail exchanges are among the most damaging evidence so far supporting their assertions the lane closures were politically motivated. The correspondence began three weeks before access lanes to the bridge were closed.
"Time for some traffic problems in Fort Lee," Kelly said in an e-mail to David Wildstein, then the highest-level appointee representing the state at the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey, which operates the bridge connecting the two states.
"Got it," Wildstein replied.
Wildstein resigned last month from the port authority, where he was the director of interstate capital projects.
Wildstein asserted the lane closures were part of a traffic study.
