Fort Lee lane closure controversy
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The Fort Lee lane closure controversy, also known as 'Bridgegate', concerns the motivations behind the closure of toll lanes on the George Washington Bridge in September 2013.
Events[edit]
Beginning on September 9, 2013, the dedicated toll lanes for a Fort Lee, New Jersey entrance to the upper level of the George Washington Bridge were reduced from three to one until early morning on September 13, on orders from David Wildstein (who was hired by New Jersey governor Chris Christie appointee Bill Baroni) without notification to Fort Lee government and police officials. It caused additional hours each day of even more significant traffic congestion than normal and major delays for school transportation and police and emergency response within Fort Lee during and after the peak hours of travel.[1] The reduction in these toll lanes occurred due to a purported "traffic study", but raised speculation that they were retribution directed towards Fort Lee mayor Mark Sokolich for not endorsing Christie's re-election campaign.[2][3]
Bridget Anne Kelly, a close aide to New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie (R), sent an eight-word email on Aug 13 to one of the governor's appointees to the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey, "Time for some traffic problems in Fort Lee".[4] Wildstein responded to Kelly's e-mail: "Got it."[5]
On December 13, 2013, Christie announced he had accepted the immediate resignation of Baroni and the immediate departure of Wildstein from the Port Authority.[6] Asked whether the lane closures had been ordered as political retribution, Christie answered "absolutely, unequivocally not."[7] Christie added: "I've made it very clear to everybody on my senior staff that if anyone had any knowledge about this, they needed to come forward to me and tell me about it. And they’ve all assured me that they don't."[8] The New York Times published emails and text messages on January 8, 2014 tying Christie's deputy chief of staff, Bridget Anne Kelly, to the closure. The content of the released communications suggests not only that the lane closures were ordered with the knowledge that they would cause a massive traffic jam, but also that this was the intended effect.[9][10] Christie released a statement later that day denying knowledge of the scandal, rebuking Bridget Anne Kelly for her role in the lane closure event, and vowing that "people will be held responsible for their actions".[11] These lane closures may have caused slower response time for emergency vehicles and may have contributed to the death of at least one woman.[12]
See also[edit]
References[edit]
- ↑ Boburg, Shawn (December 28, 2013). "Emails Show Port Authority Officials Were Warned of Hardships Caused by GWB Lane Closures". The Record. Retrieved January 8, 2014.
- ↑ Baxter, Christopher (December 9, 2013). "Was the Closing of Three Lanes on the George Washington Bridge Politically Motivated?". The Star-Ledger. Retrieved December 9, 2013.
- ↑ Mann, Ted; Orden, Erica; Haddon, Heather (December 12, 2013). "Governors Spoke Privately About Bridge Controversy". Wall Street Journal.
- ↑ Eric, Lach (January 8, 2014). "Meet the Christie Aide Behind the Instantly Infamous 'Traffic Problems' Email". Talking Point Memo. Retrieved January 8, 2014.
- ↑ Blake, Aaron (January 8, 2014). "E-mails Suggest Top Christie Aide Used Lane Closures for Retribution". Washington Post. Retrieved January 8, 2014.
- ↑ Portnoy, Jenna (December 13, 2013). "Gov. Christie Announces Another Top Port Authority Official Has Resigned after GWB Flap". The Star-Ledger. Newark, NJ. Retrieved December 19, 2013.
- ↑ McCalmont, Lucy (December 13, 2013). "Chris Christie: Andrew Cuomo Story 'Wrong'". Politico. Retrieved January 8, 2014.
- ↑ Jordan, Bob (December 15, 2013). "Bridge Scandal Signals Dems Ready to Give Christie a Hard Time". Asbury Park Press. Retrieved January 8, 2014.
- ↑ Zernike, Kate (January 8, 2014). "Emails Tie Top Christie Aides to Lane Closings, Despite Denials". The New York Times. Retrieved January 8, 2014.
- ↑ "Christie Administration Emails and Text Messages Related to GWB Lane Closures" (PDF). The Record. January 8, 2014. Retrieved January 8, 2014.
- ↑ Portnoy, Jenna (January 8, 2014). "Gov. Chris Christie 'Outraged' in Statement on GWB Scandal". The Star-Ledger. Retrieved January 8, 2014.
- ↑ LoGiurato, Brett. "The Chris Christie Lane Closing Scandal Caused Slower Response Times For Emergency Vehicles". Business Insider. Retrieved January 9, 2014.
External links[edit]
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