The mayor of a New Jersey town at the center of the “Bridgegate” scandal overshadowing Gov. Chris Christie’s second term said Tuesday he will not talk to lawyers hired by the governor to look into lane closures last September near the George Washington Bridge, according to a new report.
The Newark Star-Ledger reports that an attorney for Fort Lee Mayor Mark Sokolich sent a letter to Randy Mastro, a former federal prosecutor who heads Mr. Christie’s new legal team, that says the mayor will not sit for a private interview or voluntarily hand over relevant documents.
“In light of the parallel investigations being conducted at the same time regarding the same subject matter, I do not believe it would be appropriate for the mayor to be interviewed by you or to produce any documents,” attorney Tim Donohue wrote, according to the newspaper.
The state legislature is investigating a scandal that festered in the run-up to Mr. Christie’s re-election in November before bursting into view early this year, when emails made it clear that Christie aides and personnel at the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey conspired to close access lanes from Fort Lee to the bridge, which resulted in massive gridlock.
A leading theory is that Bridget Anne Kelly, the governor’s former deputy chief of staff, worked with David Wildstein of the Port Authority to punish Mr. Sokolich, a Democrat who did not endorse Mr. Christie last year.
Mr. Christie has said he had no knowledge of the scheme and that aides lied to him about the four-day incident.
• Tom Howell Jr. can be reached at thowell@washingtontimes.com.
Please read our comment policy before commenting.