Bridget Anne Kelly is being fired by Gov. Chris Christie in the scandal now being termed “Bridgegate”.
N.J. Governor Christie says he was misled by staff, and he was firing Deputy Chief of Staff Kelly “because she lied to me.”
On Thursday, he apologized to his constituents, saying he was “embarrassed and humiliated” by his staff, and he had no idea his aides may have closed highway lanes to exact political retribution.
Kelly is in the center of a widening scandal that is a potential threat to Christie’s second term, and his presidential aspirations for 2016. Documents are alleged to show that she arranged traffic jams to punish the mayor, who didn’t support Christie’s re-election.
While the messages do not directly implicate Christie, they contradict his claim that the closings were not punitive, and his staff were not involved.
He added that he had “no knowledge or involvement in this issue, in its planning or execution,” and was stunned by the “abject stupidity that was shown.” But, he did accept that his was the ultimate responsibility
According to material obtained by the Associated Press, one message from Kelly read: “Time for some traffic problems in Fort Lee,” This was written last August to David Wildstein, a top Christie appointee on the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey.
A few weeks later, Wildstein closed two of three lanes connecting Fort Lee to the much traveled George Washington Bridge.
So far, Kelly hasn’t issued any statement, and Christie said he hadn’t spoken to her since the emails were released.
