Q&A: Your guide to the GWB controversy
TRENTON –The George Washington Bridge scandal, dubbed "Bridgegate" for short, has been an enduring nightmare for the administration of New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie.
Here's a quick road map to the long-running saga, based in large part on legislative findings and media reports.
Q: What is the George Washington Bridge controversy about?
A: The George Washington Bridge is the world's busiest bridge. For four days in September 2013, two of the three lanes that funnel traffic from Fort Lee streets to the toll plaza were rerouted without notice to local officials or commuters, snarling traffic for hours each morning during the first week of school.
Q: Traffic jams in New Jersey are common, so why was this one a big deal?
A: These bottlenecks on local streets were orchestrated by operatives in Christie's office and the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey, under the stated guise of a since-debunked traffic study.
Q: Why would anyone want to do that?
A: That's still unclear. The most widely held theory is, Christie loyalists wanted to punish Fort Lee, which suffered the brunt of the delays, because Mayor Mark Sokolich declined to back Christie for re-election.
Q: Has anyone been punished?
A: A few top Port Authority officials have lost their jobs – capital projects director David Wildstein, accused of orchestrating the closures, and Deputy Director Bill Baroni, who ignored Fort Lee's calls for help during the closures. Bridget Kelly, a deputy chief of staff to Christie who set the closures in motion, was fired. Bill Stepien, a key political staffer of Christie's, lost various positions as Christie cut ties with him. Finally, David Samson, the Port Authority chairman, stepped down early last spring.
Q: What about Christie?
A: He has suffered significant political damage, though he has said he didn't order the closures and didn't know about the operation until learning about it from news coverage after it was complete. An internal investigation commissioned by his office and an inquiry by the Legislature didn't find otherwise. Still, his job approval ratings in New Jersey have dropped, and he has gone from being among the leading candidates for the Republican presidential nomination in 2016 to a spot far down in the pack.
Q: Why has it taken more than 15 months to investigate?
A: Only the investigators can fully answer that. One explanation is, it wasn't exactly clear what laws might have been broken. The controversy also spawned a series of investigations involving the Port Authority, many of them unrelated to the GWB saga.
Q: What else is being investigated?
A: Quite a bit. Federal prosecutors also issued subpoenas for information about a Hoboken redevelopment project; contracts for replacing the Bayonne and Goethels bridges; potential conflicts of interests for Port Authority commissioners; vehicles and radio equipment provided to Fort Lee and Port Authority officials; communications related to a United Airlines flight route to South Carolina; and records related to contacts and canceled meetings with Jersey City Mayor Steven Fulop.
Q: Other than the U.S. Attorney, who else has been investigating?
A: The Manhattan District's Attorney Office issued subpoenas to the Port Authority on at least a half-dozen topics. The Securities and Exchange Commission is looking at the way the Port Authority is financing the repairs of the Pulaski Skyway. The New Jersey Legislature created a special committee with subpoena power that conducted interviews and wrote an interim report before suspending work; apparently it was bumping up against that of federal prosecutors. The New Jersey State Ethics Commission sought information from the agency related to Samson's votes. The Port Authority's inspector general opened an investigation as well.
Michael Symons: (609) 984-4336; msymons@app.com