It was 100 days ago when New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie’s (R) administration crippled Fort Lee with days of brutal traffic, allegedly to punish the local mayor for failing to endorse the governor’s re-election campaign. The Democratic National Committee marked the occasion with a new video, arguing that the Republican governor has left the public with more questions than answers.
And speaking of questions, Christie’s top two Port Authority officials, both of whom have resigned in the wake of the controversy, have reportedly hired attorneys, which is probably a good move.
Two appointees of Gov. Chris Christie’s who recently resigned amid a controversy over lane closures at the George Washington Bridge have retained private attorneys, according to correspondence from their attorneys reviewed by The Wall Street Journal.Bill Baroni and David Wildstein, both former executives at the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey, have sought outside counsel amid an investigation into why traffic lanes leading to the nation’s busiest bridge were abruptly closed, the documents showed.
Their timing is excellent — lawmakers in New Jersey are expected to receive documents tomorrow in response to subpoenas from the state Assembly, and many of the materials will come from Baroni and Wildstein directly.
What’s more, as Rachel explained on the show last night, Sen. Jay Rockefeller (D-W.Va.), chairman of the U.S. Senate’s transportation committee, has launched a federal investigation into the matter, sending letters both to the Port Authority demanding answers, and to the U.S. Department of Transportation, seeking a federal review.
Last week, Christie tried to joke around and treat the story as a joke. I don’t imagine he’s smiling anymore.
Steve Benen is a producer for "The Rachel Maddow Show," the editor of MaddowBlog and an MS NOW political contributor. He's also the bestselling author of "Ministry of Truth: Democracy, Reality, and the Republicans' War on the Recent Past."