New Jersey Legislature Clears Gov. Chris Christie In Bridge Scheme
An investigation by the New Jersey Legislature has cleared Gov. Chris Christie in an apparently politically motivated scheme that closed some lanes of the George Washington Bridge last year, leading to major traffic jams and a political firestorm.
The investigation could find no evidence that Christie was involved in the scheme.
"Investigators found no conclusive evidence whether Christie was aware or not of the closures last year, but they say that two former Christie aides acted with 'perceived impunity' and with little regard for public safety when they ordered the lanes closed, according to a 136-page interim report by a joint legislative panel that was obtained by news organizations Thursday night.
"A report commissioned by Christie previously cleared him of any wrongdoing and a lawyer for the governor said in a statement Thursday that the report corroborates that investigation.
" 'The Committee has finally acknowledged what we reported nine months ago — namely, that there is not a shred of evidence Governor Christie knew anything about the GWB lane realignment beforehand or that any current member of his staff was involved in that decision,' Christie attorney Randy Mastro said in a statement."
If you remember, the scandal threatened Christie's presidential ambitions and culminated with Christie apologizing during a long news conference in January.
Comments
You must be signed in to leave a comment. Sign In / Register
Please keep your community civil. All comments must follow the NPR.org Community rules and terms of use, and will be moderated prior to posting. NPR reserves the right to use the comments we receive, in whole or in part, and to use the commenter's name and location, in any medium. See also the Terms of Use, Privacy Policy and Community FAQ.