New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie has been linked to another bridge investigation, NBC News confirmed Tuesday.
The New York Times first reported Tuesday that the Manhattan district attorney’s office and the Securities and Exchange Commission are looking into potential securities law violations over a repair project for a New Jersey skyway.
At issue is whether the Christie administration requested funds from the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey—which were supposed to be used to fund a rail tunnel under the Hudson River—to go toward fixing up the Pulaski Skyway three years ago, both the Times and NBC News reported. The Times noted that the skyway was outside the purview of the Port Authority, since it is operated by the state of New Jersey.
As msnbc reported in January, Christie’s cancellation of the Hudson tunnel project sparked controversy in the state. It also freed up $1.8 billion from the Port Authority, which was used to fix up the skyway and other roads in New Jersey.
Though the investigation could take months to complete, the news could be another headache for Christie, who has been dogged by accusations that his administration abused its power by shutting down lanes on the George Washington Bridge in September 2013, apparently for political retribution. In the wake of the growing scandal, dubbed “Bridgegate,” Christie ordered an internal investigation, which cost taxpayers millions of dollars but cleared the governor of any wrongdoing. Christie has insisted that the investigation into “Bridgegate” will not affect him, should the governor choose to run for the White House in 2016.
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