Tag: lane closings

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Politics

Another of Chris Christie’s Friends with Ties to Bridge-Gate Scandal

A Port Authority police officer with personal ties to New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie was at the George Washington Bridge when access lanes were closed last September and personally drove David Wildstein, the Christie appointee who supervised the closings, on a tour of the area as traffic brought it to a standstill.

Documents submitted to a New Jersey legislative committee by Wildstein also show that the officer,  Lieutenant Thomas “Chip” Michaels, appears to have sent periodic text messages to Wildstein updating him on the effects of the lane closures and their crippling impact on the town of Fort Lee. In one message, on the first day of the lane closures, Michaels told Wildstein he might have an idea to “make this better.” It is not clear what he meant

Michaels, who joined the Port Authority Police Department in 1998 according to payroll records, grew up in Christie and Wildstein’s hometown of Livingston, N.J. In recent years, he coached Christie’s son at little league hockey. Michael’s brother, Jeffrey Michaels is among the most powerful Republicans in New Jersey politics – a lobbyist whose practice has soared in value during the Christie years and who has donated heavily to pro-Christie organizations.

Michaels’ presence at the lane closures with Wildstein is an important new detail because it places another person with long-time ties to the governor, this time in the Port Authority Police Department, at the scene witnessing the traffic surge that has since come to engulf Chrstie’s administration in legal inquires.

The revelation is also important because Fort Lee Mayor Mark Sokolich had earlier questioned the Port Authority Police Department’s actions during the closures. In a September 12 letter, Sokolich wrote to Port Authority deputy executive director Bill Baroni, a Christie appointee who has since resigned, that residents had told him that “Port Authority Police Officers are advising commuters in response to their complaints that this recent traffic debacle is the result of a decision that I, as the Mayor, recently made.” There is no evidence that Michaels was one of these officers.

Christie emphatically denies taking part in or having any knowledge of the decision to close the lanes leading onto one of the busiest bridge in the world. He has said he doesn’t know why members of his inner circle would have ordered the lanes closed.

Video at MSNBC

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Politics

Bridge to Christ Christie’s 2016 Bid Now Closed

Ah Chris Christie. Allow me to refer to you as piblic bully number one.

By now everyone’s heard of Bridge-Gate, where the busiest bridge in the nation – the George Washington – was mysteriously closed back in September on the first day of school, right before the election in 2013.

No one seemed to know the reason for the bridge closing and although questions were asked, answers were few. The answer that initially came forth – the closure was a traffic study – made no sense.

Then it was revealed that the closure to the bridge happened in the town of a Democratic mayor who endorsed Chris Christie’s opponent in the gubernatorial election. Then more questions were asked. Did Chris Christie ordered the bridge closing to cause havoc in this town of Fort Lee, thus, causing unnecessary problems for Mayor Mark Sokolich – the man who refused to endorse him?

Christie denied it of course, then today, the emails were made public.

“It will be a tough November for this little Serbian,” wrote David Wildstein, one of Christie’s appointees to the agency responsible for maintaining the bridge. His comment, apparently referring to Mayor Mark Sokolich.

The emails show that Bridget Anne Kelly, a deputy chief of staff in Mr. Christie’s office, gave a signal to the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey to close the lanes about two weeks before the closings occurred.

“Time for some traffic problems in Fort Lee,” she emailed David Wildstein, Mr. Christie’s close friend from high school, and one of his appointees at the Port Authority, which controls the bridge.

After the emails were released on Wednesday, Mr. Christie canceled his one public event for the day, which had been billed as an announcement of progress in the recovery from Hurricane Sandy. His office had no immediate comment.

Mr. Christie’s handpicked chairman of the Port Authority, David Samson, was also involved in the closings, according to the emails, which describe his efforts to “retaliate” against New York officials who had not been told of the changes and sought to ease the gridlock.

A text between Christie affiliates went like this.

“Is it wrong that I am smiling?” Mr. Wildstein texted Ms. Kelly.

“No,” she texted back.

“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.

Christie’s canceled all appearances today after these emails were made public. He might as well cancel his plans to run for president in 2016.

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Politics

More Trouble – Chris Christie Subpoenaed In Fort Lee Lane Closings

This story is not going away anytime soon.

The Democratic lawmaker investigating September’s controversial lane closures at the George Washington Bridge has subpoenaed any correspondence on the matter between Gov. Chris Christie and Port Authority officials.

Assemblyman John Wisnieswki (D-Middlesex) wants to know what the governor knew about the closures and when he knew it.

The subpoenas, issued to key officials of the bistate agency, demanded “all documents and correspondence, produced between Aug. 1, 2013 and the present date between Governor Chris Christie or any member of his administration and/or any employee, officer, or executive of the Port Authority.” The subpoenas give the officials until Thursday to respond.

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