New Jersey Governor Chris Christie fires aide in bridge-closing scandal
telegraph
2014-02-14
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New Jersey Governor Chris Christie says he has fired a top aide at the center of a brewing scandal that public officials orchestrated a massive traffic snarl on the busy George Washington Bridge to settle a political score.
New Jersey Governor Chris Christie told a news conference he was stunned and heartbroken by revelations that his staff was behind the traffic jam designed to punish a local mayor who declined to endorse Mr Christie's re-election bid.
The office of the US attorney in New Jersey said it had launched an investigation.
The scandal and potential legal problems come as Mr Christie has emerged as one of the most powerful figures in the Republican Party as head of its governors association and a possible contender for the White House in 2016.
"I am embarrassed and humiliated by the conduct of some of the people on my team," Mr Christie said. "I am who I am, but I am not a bully."
Mr Christie said he has dismissed his deputy chief of staff, Bridget Anne Kelly.
The controversy erupted with the public release of incriminating emails showing that a top aide to Mr Christie played a key role in closing some lanes to the bridge, in a ploy to punish the Democratic mayor of Fort Lee, New Jersey.
The George Washington Bridge, one of the busiest spans in the world, connects New York City to Fort Lee. The abrupt four-day lane closures in September caused hours-long traffic jams and held up the passage of school buses and ambulances.
A local newspaper reported that emergency responders were delayed in attending to four medical situations. One involved an unconscious 91-year-old woman who later died of cardiac arrest and another, a car accident, in which four people were injured.
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New Jersey Governor Chris Christie told a news conference he was stunned and heartbroken by revelations that his staff was behind the traffic jam designed to punish a local mayor who declined to endorse Mr Christie's re-election bid.
The office of the US attorney in New Jersey said it had launched an investigation.
The scandal and potential legal problems come as Mr Christie has emerged as one of the most powerful figures in the Republican Party as head of its governors association and a possible contender for the White House in 2016.
"I am embarrassed and humiliated by the conduct of some of the people on my team," Mr Christie said. "I am who I am, but I am not a bully."
Mr Christie said he has dismissed his deputy chief of staff, Bridget Anne Kelly.
The controversy erupted with the public release of incriminating emails showing that a top aide to Mr Christie played a key role in closing some lanes to the bridge, in a ploy to punish the Democratic mayor of Fort Lee, New Jersey.
The George Washington Bridge, one of the busiest spans in the world, connects New York City to Fort Lee. The abrupt four-day lane closures in September caused hours-long traffic jams and held up the passage of school buses and ambulances.
A local newspaper reported that emergency responders were delayed in attending to four medical situations. One involved an unconscious 91-year-old woman who later died of cardiac arrest and another, a car accident, in which four people were injured.
Get the latest headlines http://www.telegraph.co.uk/
Subscribe to The Telegraph http://www.youtube.com/subscription_center?add_user=telegraphtv
Like us on Facebook http://www.facebook.com/telegraph.co.uk
Follow us on Twitter https://twitter.com/telegraph
Follow us on Google+ https://plus.google.com/102891355072777008500/
Telegraph.co.uk and YouTube.com/TelegraphTV are websites of The Daily Telegraph, the UK's best-selling quality daily newspaper providing news and analysis on UK and world events, business, sport, lifestyle and culture.
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