In Case You're Lost on the Christie Scandal
There`s definitely a situation in Jersey, and it doesn’t involve Mike Sorrentino.Earlier in January, New Jersey Governor, Chris Christie, found himself starring in a new political scandal that many argue will hurt his White House ambitions.Documents show that top Christie officials engineered traffic jams in Fort Lee, New Jersey in September 2013 by closing multiple lanes leading to the George Washington Bridge.The lane closures were initiated to punish Fort Lee`s Democratic mayor, Mark Sokolich, who had not endorsed Christie in the recent 2013 gubernatorial campaign.Christie`s campaign sought the endorsements of Democratic officials to show that the governor is capable of working across the political aisle.“I had no knowledge or involvement in this issue in its planning or its execution,” says Christie, who held a press conference on January 9th to address the scandal.The New Jersey governor, who is widely considered to be the Republican Presidential candidate in 2016, fired Bridget Anne Kelly, his deputy chief of staff, after she gave the order to close the lanes.Christie said that he was "embarrassed and humiliated" by the actions.“I am heartbroken that someone who I permitted to be in that circle of trust for the last five years betrayed my trust,” he said.
A former senior official at the Port Authority of New York & New Jersey, David Wildstein, claims that the governor knew of the lane closures and had evidence to prove it. Wildstein was appointed by the Christie Administration to the agency but resigned amidst the scandal. Christie`s office denies the allegation.
A Pew Research Center/USA Today poll found that 58 percent of Americans are skeptical that Christie had no knowledge about the lane closures. Thirty two percent take the governor for his word. The poll also found Christie's unfavorable rate is at 34 %, double his rating at this time last year.Christie is also facing accusations from Hoboken Mayor, Dawn Zimmer, who says his administration threatened to withhold Hurricane Sandy relief funds, if she did not support a major real estate development project.The straight talking governor has pledged to cooperate with investigations into the scandal.