Report Released On Findings From Committee Probing Bridgegate Scandal
TRENTON, N.J. (CBSNewYork) -- It has been more than a year since the lane closure scandal on the George Washington Bridge, and a legislative committee has been investigating why the three access lanes were shut down – snarling traffic.
As CBS2's Christine Sloan reported, the committee has released a report on the findings so far.
Democrats called the lane closures political retribution against Fort Lee Mayor Mark Sokolich for not supporting New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie's reelection bid last year. But the governor's attorney blamed it on two people gone rogue.
Christie fired his deputy chief of staff, Bridget Kelly, over the scandal. His Port Authority of New York and New Jersey appointee, David Wildstein, resigned.
Kelly sent an email to Wildstein reading, "Time for some traffic problems in Fort Lee." That message apparently triggered the lane closures.
But Assemblyman John Wisniewski (D-Sayreville), who co-chairs the Joint Legislative Committee on Investigations, does not believe Kelly orchestrated it all.
"She did not come up with this on her own," Wisniewski said. "It's hard to accept there are two individuals who decided, for apparently no reason, to just close three access lanes to the George Washington Bridge because they could."
But after millions of dollars spent, Wisniewski said the new report, which reads in an encyclopedia, provides no answers because everyone allegedly involved refuses to talk.
"We don't really have a lot of information, because we have not been able to, in some cases, get documents from them, or in other cases, get testimony," Wisniewski said.
"The governor was not entirely candid when he talked about what he knew. Individuals in the governor's administration were not entirely candid when they testified," Wisniewski told WCBS 880's Sean Adams.
A Republican on the committee dismissed the report.
"This is John Wisniewski's report," said state Assembly Republican Leader Jon M. Bramnick (R-Westville.) "Under no circumstances should they ever call this a committee report."
Republicans said they are outnumbered by Democrats on the committee, and called it all a waste of money since the U.S. Attorney is also investigating Bridgegate. The Republicans defended Christie.
"From day one, he said he wasn't part of it. There's been no evidence whatsoever to show he knew anything about it," Bramnick said. "This was an unfortunate and stupid act by certain people."
All of the members on the committee received a copy of the report, and some members said the report contained little new information. But so far, no one is talking about the details.
The U.S. Attorney's office has not released any information on its findings.
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