New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie has released a statement on the new revelations today on the burgeoning traffic scandal surrounding his administration.
The full statement:
“What I've seen today for the first time is unacceptable. I am outraged and deeply saddened to learn that not only was I misled by a member of my staff, but this completely inappropriate and unsanctioned conduct was made without my knowledge. One thing is clear: this type of behavior is unacceptable and I will not tolerate it because the people of New Jersey deserve better. This behavior is not representative of me or my Administration in any way, and people will be held responsible for their actions.”
On Wednesday, new documents of emails and text-message conversations revealed a deeper involvement from Christie's staff than he has claimed. The documents showed that members of his staff were involved in decisions that caused days of traffic jams near the George Washington Bridge — which opponents have charged was done in political retaliation against a Democratic mayor who refused to endorse him for re-election.
Bridget Anne Kelly, Christie's deputy chief of staff, sent an Aug. 13 email to former Port Authority Director of Interstate Capital Projects David Wildstein, a Christie ally: "Time for some traffic problems in Fort Lee."
Overall, the documents show a level of coordination between the Christie administration and the Port Authority over the lane closures, contradicting previous claims that they were part of a "traffic study."
Christie on Wednesday morning abruptly canceled his one scheduled public event of the day, a Hurricane Sandy "housing recovery milestone announcement" in Manahawkin, N.J.
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