Federal prosecutors could announce the first criminal charges today in connection with lane closures on the George Washington Bridge in 2013 – in a case that could have implications for New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie, a likely Republican presidential candidate.
David Wildstein, a friend of Christie and an official at the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey, is scheduled to appear in court at 11 a.m. ET, WNYC reports, following which U.S. Attorney Paul Fishman is expected to hold a news conference.
At issue is the apparently politically motivated closure in September 2013 of two of the three access lanes to the George Washington Bridge in Fort Lee, N.J. The scandal became known as "Bridgegate."
Fort Lee's Democratic Mayor Mark Sokolich had suggested the lanes were blocked because he didn't endorse Christie's re-election as governor. An investigation by the New Jersey legislature has cleared Christie, but noted that the governor's aides acted with "perceived impunity." Christie has denied any knowledge of the closures.
The Associated Press adds:
"The simmering scandal erupted a year ago when an email from Christie's deputy chief of staff, Bridget Kelly, to David Wildstein, a port authority official and Christie loyalist, was revealed. It read, 'Time for some traffic problems in Fort Lee.' Wildstein's reply was, 'Got it.' By the time that email was made public, Wildstein had already resigned, as had Bill Baroni, Christie's top appointee to the Port Authority. The governor fired Kelly and cut ties with Bill Stepien, his two-time campaign manager, amid the scandal."
Copyright 2015 NPR. To see more, visit http://www.npr.org/.
