Embattled N.J. Gov. Chris Christie said he didn’t know of any plot by his aides to create traffic jams on the George Washington Bridge as political revenge — but he thinks he heard about the lane back-ups while they occurred.
He said on a recent radio broadcast reported by The Telegraph that his knowledge of the traffic jams just didn’t register with him as an issue that needed his immediate attention.
Mr. Christie also added that a news report about the lane closures a few days after the traffic backlog grabbed his attention, and he asked his administration staff to take a look at the situation, The Telegraph reported.
At the same time, Mr. Christie emphasized that he did not know of any political revenge plot on the part of his staffers to stymie Fort Lee traffic.
Meanwhile, a former governor mansion staffer came out Friday with a statement saying Mr. Christie knew of the lane closures at the same time they were closed — a conflict with what Mr. Christie has stated.
Mr. Christie’s poll numbers have dropped in recent weeks, the apparent fallout from recently revealed emails that show his staffers and appointees may have participated in a revenge plot against the Fort Lee mayor, who didn’t support the governor’s re-election. Traffic in the mayor’s district was significantly stalled for four days last September.
• Cheryl K. Chumley can be reached at cchumley@washingtontimes.com.
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