Story by the Associated Press; curated by Dave Urbanski
TRENTON, N.J. (AP) — New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie is going on the offensive after a former loyalist said he has evidence the Republican governor knew more than he has admitted about an apparently politically motivated traffic jam ordered by one of his staffers last year.
New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie holds a souvenir football helmet as he leaves after a ceremony to pass official hosting duties of next year's Super Bowl to representatives from Arizona, Saturday Feb. 1, 2014 in New York. (Image source: AP/Bebeto Matthews)
The governor's political team sent an email Saturday to donors, along with columnists and pundits who might be in a position to defend Christie, bashing the man Christie put in a top post at the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey and the accusations the man's lawyer made in a letter Friday.
The email says the former Port Authority official, David Wildstein, "will do and say anything to save David Wildstein."
The action from Christie's supporters comes as Republicans are debating the implications of the scandal that this year has surrounded the administration of the possible 2016 presidential contender. It was sent at a moment when Christie is in the spotlight with his state hosting Sunday's Super Bowl.
Christie's team noted that Wildstein did not present any proof to back up the claims his lawyer, Alan Zegas, made in the letter. The email also denies that Christie knew about the traffic jam or its political motive until after it was over and bashes Wildstein on a variety of fronts, characterizing him as a litigious teenager, a controversial mayor of Livingston, where Christie and Wildstein attended high school together, and for his past career as an anonymous political blogger.
Much of the letter quoted newspaper articles that took critical looks at Wildstein, who resigned in December from a $150,000-per-year job that he got with Christie's blessing. The Christie email notes that a 2012 article in The Record of Bergen County says Wildstein "was a very contentious person."
But the email does not mention other comments about Wildstein in the story, including from Christie spokesman Michael Drewniak: "He is there in that job because he is well suited to the task of playing a role in reforming the Port Authority in accordance with the governor's goals," Drewniak said. "If he's not liked for that role, and if he's accused of being zealous in that regard, then we plead guilty."
The email, headlined "5 Things You Should Know about the Bombshell That's Not a Bombshell" was obtained by The Associated Press and confirmed by Christie's office. It was first reported by Politico.
In the email Christie also slams the New York Times, calling its reporting of the Wildstein claims "sloppy," along with the paper's insistence that "there was actually 'evidence' when it was a letter alleging that 'evidence exists.'
The email goes on: "Forced to change the lead almost immediately, the Times was roundly criticized and its editor was forced to issue this extraordinary statement to The Huffington Post: 'We've made probably dozens of changes to the story to make it more precise. That was one of them. I bet there will be dozens more.'"
Wildstein, who was the first of four people with Christie connections to lose a job because of the scandal, did not immediately respond to emails from the AP on Saturday. He also could not be reached on his cellphone.
Wildstein is among 20 people and organizations close to Christie who must comply with a new round of subpoenas from a legislative investigative committee by Monday. Most of the recipients have asked for more time.
When Wildstein appeared before a panel of lawmakers in January, he asserted his right against self-incrimination and refused to answer any questions. Zegas said Wildstein would testify if granted immunity from prosecution.
New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie speaks in Times Square February 1, 2014 in New York City. (Image source: Getty Images/Christopher Gregory)
The implications of the scandal for Christie have become a source of debate not just for Democrats but also for Republicans.
Some said the accusations could derail hopes of Christie running for president if he can't shake the scandal soon, while others were quick to express faith in the governor.
"It's not good for him," said Matt Beynon, a Republican operative who worked on former Sen. Rick Santorum's 2012 presidential campaign and still has him as a client. "The longer the story goes on, the worse it gets for him. If this is still an issue a year from now, he's going to have trouble pulling the trigger. ... Gov. Christie will have to think long and hard about running."
But Ken Langone, a co-founder of Atlanta-based Home Depot Inc. and a staunch Christie supporter, expressed no reservations.
"I have complete faith and trust that the governor is telling the truth, and I continue to believe that he would be a superb president if he were elected in the future," he said.
Matt Mackowiak, a Texas-based Republican consultant, agreed that Christie's chances on a national stage won't be harmed as long as he has been honest about what he knew.
"As long as he was telling the truth, he is fine," Mackowiak said. "But if he knew about this, it brings him in directly and adds — potentially — dishonesty to the charges."
Christie received a smattering of boos and some cheers during a pre-game ceremony in New York on Saturday. He didn't appear affected by the crowd's reaction during the Times Square ceremony.
Also Saturday, the lawyer for a state legislative panel investigating the traffic jams said he was confident the probe can continue without impeding a federal criminal investigation.
Reid Schar, special counsel to the panel, said he had discussed the parallel probes with officials from the U.S. Attorney's office Friday and said the committee "would be mindful" not to interfere with the ongoing criminal investigation.
The lawmaker who chairs that panel said Wildstein's new allegations validate the skepticism committee members have expressed throughout the probe, an investigation Christie once referred to as the Democrats' obsession and some state Republicans have called "a witch hunt."
Assemblyman John Wisniewski, a Democrat, said he doesn't know what evidence Wildstein may have but said it could be an email or document that fell beyond the date range called for in the original subpoena.
