Sen. Jay Rockefeller (D-WV), chairman of the U.S. Senate Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation, called on Monday for a federal review of a scandal that has touched New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie (R).
The scandal involves a closure ordered by Christie’s allies in September of several lanes of the George Washington Bridge, which led to days of traffic gridlock in Fort Lee, N.J. The traffic jam has been linked to a dispute Christie had with the town’s mayor, though Christie has denied any involvement in the decision to close the lanes.
Rockefeller sent a letter Monday to U.S. Department of Transportation Secretary Anthony Foxx asking him to review the incident.
He also sent a letter to the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey, which oversees the bridge. Rockefelller demanded answers to a series of questions.
“Unwarranted lane closures with no public notice can have serious ramifications on interstate commerce and safety in the region, and as the Committee with oversight responsibility of the Port Authority, I continue to have serious concerns about the actions of this agency. The gravity of this situation demands a comprehensive investigation,” Rockefeller wrote in his letter. “It also exacerbates my concerns with the governance and previous oversight of the Port Authority.”
Read both letters below.
