(Reuters) - New
Jersey Governor Chris Christie on Thursday fired a top aide who
apparently helped orchestrate massive traffic jams at a busy commuter
bridge to settle a score, saying he had been blindsided in the scandal
that threatened to tarnish his political image.
As Christie apologized publicly
for the abrupt lane closings seemingly ordered by some of his staff,
and which he said he did not know about beforehand, the office of the
U.S. Attorney in New Jersey said it was launching an investigation.
Revelations
that his staff may have had a hand in plotting the four-day lane
closures at the George Washington Bridge in September, causing
hours-long jams that stalled commuters, school buses and ambulances,
come as Christie has emerged as a powerful figure in the Republican
Party and a possible presidential contender.
The
controversy erupted with the release on Wednesday of emails showing
Christie's aide and allies appearing to plan lane closings in what
critics said was a bid to punish the Democratic mayor of Fort Lee, at
the New Jersey end of the bridge, because he had declined to endorse
Christie's re-election effort.
"I
am embarrassed and humiliated by the conduct of some of the people on my
team," Christie said. "I am who I am, but I am not a bully."
As
the head of the party's governors association and a possible 2016 White
House contender, the tough-talking governor has sought to present
himself as a leader who can work with opponents and forge bipartisan
alliances.
Christie said at his
news conference that he dismissed his deputy chief of staff, Bridget
Anne Kelly, who in the most damning of the emails, wrote to a Port
Authority executive in August, saying: "Time for some traffic problems
in Fort Lee."
The executive, David Wildstein, replied: "Got it."
Wildstein
later admitted ordering the lane closures and resigned his post. He
supplied the emails to the media in response to a subpoena issued by a
panel of state lawmakers.
Appearing
before the panel on Thursday, Wildstein declined to answer questions,
repeatedly invoking the constitutional protection not to say anything
that might incriminate him.
The
state Assembly's transportation, public works and independent
authorities committee, which is probing the closures, voted to hold him
in contempt.
The charge will be
referred to a county prosecutor for determination of what it could mean
for Wildstein, an Assembly spokesman said.
U.S.
Attorney Paul Fishman, whose job Christie held before being elected
governor, has opened a probe into the decision to close the bridge
lanes, his spokeswoman said.
"Our office is reviewing it to determine whether a federal law was implicated," Rebekah Carmichael said in a statement.
A
local newspaper reported emergency responders were delayed in attending
to four medical situations - one involving an unconscious 91-year-old
woman who later died of cardiac arrest and another, a car accident, in
which four people were injured.
At the news conference, Christie referred to the lane closings as a "rogue political operation."
"I
am stunned by the abject stupidity that was shown here," Christie said.
"This was handled in a callous and indifferent way, and this is not the
way this administration has conducted itself over the last four years."
'HEARTBROKEN' AND APOLOGETIC
Christie took reporters' questions at the packed news conference in his office that lasted nearly two hours.
He
appeared contrite, describing himself repeatedly as "heartbroken" and
apologizing several times to the public, and even to the media.
Toward
the end of his lengthy appearance, he visibly relaxed, leaning against
the podium, and resorted to more typical form, calling one reporter's
question "crazy."
He later visited Fort Lee and apologized to Mayor Mark Sokolich, who told reporters he accepted the apology.
"It was a terrible thing and we are going to work to fix it," Christie said as he left the town hall.
Christie
has enjoyed immense popularity at home since his election in 2009,
particularly for his handling of recovery and rebuilding efforts after
Superstorm Sandy devastated his state in late 2012. He was re-elected in
a landslide in November.
But he is known as well for engaging in shouting matches, hurling insults and belittling challengers.
Christie
told the news conference he was "nowhere near" beginning to consider a
possible 2016 presidential bid but some saw the traffic scandal as
taking a major toll on his political career.
A
New York Daily News editorial pronounced his presidential aspirations
as "all but kaput," saying he will be "lambasted and lampooned as a man
of low character and horrible judgment."
Taking a poke at Christie's heft as well, the Daily News front page headline on Thursday read: "Fat chance now, Chris."
But
David Axelrod, a former political adviser to President Barack Obama,
said on Twitter that Christie handled the issue at the news conference
"about as well as he could."
"Unless smoking gun turns up tying him to scheme, or others arise, he lives to fight another day," Axelrod tweeted.
Read more at:
http://www.reuters.com/article/2014/01/09/us-usa-newjersey-bridge-christie-idUSBREA080MB20140109http://www.reuters.com/article/2014/01/09/us-usa-newjersey-bridge-christie-idUSBREA080MB20140109
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