Two longtime allies of New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie (R) have retained attorneys as questions mount over their roles in the closure of multiple lanes on the George Washington Bridge last September that caused days of gridlock in Fort Lee, N.J., the Wall Street Journal reported Wednesday.
Bill Baroni and David Wildstein were appointed by Christie to serve as executives at Port Authority of New York and New Jersey, which oversees the bridge. Both men resigned from Port Authority earlier this month amid criticism over the lane closures. Emails sent to the State Legislature, which is investigating the issue, revealed both men have recently hired lawyers.
Wildstein was a childhood friend of Christie’s and Baroni has been a longtime ally of the governor. The official explanation for the lane closures was a “traffic study,” but some Democrats have suggested the lanes were closed because Fort Lee’s Democratic mayor declined to endorse Christie’s re-election bid. Christie has denied politics played any role in the lane closures.
