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Purveyor, Fine Asian Porn
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At first, Chris Christie tried to brush off the issue:
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Bombshell documents show that decisions that caused days of traffic jams near the George Washington Bridge ? possibly in retaliation against a Democratic mayor who wouldn't endorse Gov. Chris Christie (R-N.J.) for reelection ? reached closer to Christie than he has previously acknowledged.
Bridget Anne Kelly, Christie's deputy chief of staff, sent an August 13 email to former Port Authority Director of Interstate Capital Projects David Wildstein, a Christie ally: "Time for some traffic problems in Fort Lee."
Fort Lee Mayor Mark Sokolich (D) had declined to endorse Christie for re-election, unlike many other Democratic municipal officials in the state.
The Wall Street Journal obtained that email and 21 other pages of emails and text messages, a series that shows coordination between the Christie administration and the Port Authority over the lane closures ? and suggests the closures were politically motivated, not part of a "traffic study."
In a text to Baroni, Sokolich had said that the problem of busing students to school was "maddening."
In a subsequent text message exchange, an unidentified person told Wildstein, "I feel badly about the kids. I guess." Wildstein replied, "They are the children of Buono voters," referring to then-State Sen. Barbara Buono, Christie's Democratic opponent in the November election.
According to the Bergen Record, the emails and messages were provided by Wildstein to a New Jersey State Assembly committee in compliance with a subpoena.
In September, it became clearer that the lane closures were a surprise to local officials and police, the media began asking questions. Christie's campaign manager, Bill Stepien, exchanged emails with Wildstein on Sept. 18. In them, he pointed the finger at Sokolich for a story that was published that day in The Wall Street Journal.
"The mayor is an idiot," Stepien wrote.
"It will be a tough November for this little Serbian," Wildstein responded, an apparent reference to the Fort Lee mayor.
National Democrats have been hammering Christie for the past month over the controversy, charging that the lane closures were political payback for a Democratic mayor who refused to endorse Christie for re-election last year. Christie has denied that charge.
Bill Baroni, the former deputy director of the Port Authority of New York and Jersey and Christie's top official at the Port Authority, has said that the lane closures were part of a traffic study. But these documents cast doubts on those claims.
Christie has previously said that no one on his legislative or campaign staff was involved in the lane closures. He also brushed off questions in December on the topic by joking that he moved the cones himself.
But as the Record describes it, the emails show that Kelly "was involved in the planning and received updates during the week of the traffic jams." Kelly also knew that Christie appointees at the Port Authority were "ignoring the Fort Lee mayor?s desperate attempts to get a reason for the sudden unannounced closures."
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Chris Christie issued this statement today about Bridgegate:
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January 8, 4:40pm: Governor Christie has released a statement responding to documents linking him to lane closures around the George Washington Bridge. Via the Washington Post:
"What I've seen today for the first time is unacceptable. I am outraged and deeply saddened to learn that not only was I misled by a member of my staff, but this completely inappropriate and unsanctioned conduct was made without my knowledge.
One thing is clear: this type of behavior is unacceptable, and I will not tolerate it because the people of New Jersey deserve better. This behavior is not representative of me or my Administration in any way, and people will be held responsible for their actions."
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Non-issue? Sounds like now even Chris Christie himself acknowledges that his staff/appointees fucked up big time.
Summary of the controversy.
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Can?t get a Democratic mayor to endorse you for governor? Make residents of his town sit in gridlock traffic, brag about it by email and text message, then see what happens. That?s what newly obtained documents, subpoenaed from the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey, suggest took place in New Jersey last fall.
The governor? Chris Christie, a Republican with his eye on a 2016 presidential bid who claims bipartisan appeal. The mayor? Fort Lee Mayor Mark Sokolich, a Democrat who did not endorse Christie. The traffic? Three access lanes leading from Fort Lee, N.J., to the George Washington Bridge, mysteriously shutdown for four days in September of 2013. The result? Half hour bridge commutes were stretched into several hours, kids were late for school, one angry mayor, and a lot of questions.
Governor Christie claimed the closures were simply part of a local traffic study and his campaign office had nothing to do with them. In any case, Mayor Sokolich was not informed prior to the closings. Emails from his Christie?s staff to Port Authority officials show not only were they aware of the upcoming shutdown, but may have ordered it.
?Time for some traffic problems in Fort Lee,? Bridget Anne Kelly, a deputy chief of staff in Mr. Christie?s office, emailed to Port Authority official David Wildstein weeks prior to the lane closures.
?Got it,? Wildstein, an appointee and close high school friend of Mr. Christie, wrote back. Then later, as the lanes were shutdown, via the New York Times:
?I feel badly about the kids,? he texted.
?They are the children of Buono voters,? she said, referring to Mr. Christie?s Democratic opponent, Barbara Buono, who was trailing consistently in the polls and lost by a wide margin.
The Star-Ledger reports Wildstein, along with his supervisor, former Deputy Executive Director Bill Baroni, resigned from the Port Authority last month amid the growing controversy.
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