It apparently wasn’t easy for New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo (D) to say on Monday whether he believes New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie’s (R) story about the unfolding scandal involving a bridge and allegations of a political feud.
Cuomo “paused for a full six seconds” when reporters asked him at the state Capitol about whether he believed Christie’s explanation, and then he went on to describe it as a “loaded question,” according to the Wall Street Journal.
“It’s a season of loaded questions,” Cuomo said. “The governor and I have a good relationship — a professional relationship and a personal relationship. The issue of the traffic study was primarily a New Jersey incident, so our basic operating agreement is, when it has to do with New Jersey, Gov. Christie handles it. When it has to do with New York, I handle it. If it’s a management issue, dealing with the Port itself, we do it jointly. But I’m sure it is as Gov. Christie says it is.”
The George Washington Bridge is overseen by the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey, which includes officials appointed by both governors.
Two of Christie’s appointees, both of whom were longtime allies of his, have resigned over their role in ordering the closure of lanes that allowed residents of Fort Lee, N.J. to access the bridge in September after the mayor there declined to endorse Christie’s re-election bid.
Christie and the officials have maintained that the lanes were closed because of a “traffic study,” though others in the Port Authority have said there was no evidence such a study ever existed.
