Drewniak under probe over boss Christie's Bridge lane closures

According to the lawyer for New Jersey Governor Chris Christie's press secretary Michael Drewniak, his client had been interviewed by US investigations in relation to the traffic jams near the George Washington Bridge that were purportedly deliberate. It has been claimed that allies of the state governor had ordered the closure of local-access lanes to the bridge in Fort Lee. The closures happened on September 9 to 12 last year, and allegedly were punishments for Fort Lee Mayor Mark Sokolich, who was said to have not backed up Christie in his re-election last fall. Bloomberg noted that Sokolich is a Democrat while Christie is a Republican.

In a statement yesterday, attorney Anthony Iacullo said, "During our meeting today with the United States Attorney's Office, we were assured that Mike is not a target of any investigation but a fact witness. He will continue to cooperate fully with federal authorities as needed. (Drewniak is) at best a witness and a tangential figure in these events and proceedings. I am certain all fair, objective and nonpartisan parties will recognize that as we move forward."

Bloomberg said Drewniak, who is believed to be one of Christie's closest advisers, had met prosecutors working for US Attorney Paul Fishman in Newark. Bloomberg said that the Newark meeting could help Fishman discover who among Christie's allies had issued the order to close local-access lanes leading to the bridge.

The news agency also said that officials of Fort Lee had released over 26 hours of audiotapes today consisting entirely of emergency dispatch calls to Fort Lee during the four-day traffic jam. The tapes were made available for the public on a website created by a research group that targets Republican candidates, American Bridge 21st Century. Bloomberg said that the bridge scandal had hurt Christie's chances for a career at the White House in 2016.

The group's website said, "The audio from these tapes may provide a window into the burden local law enforcement and emergency response workers shouldered while Christie's administration sought to penalize a political foe of the governor."

Tags

New Jersey Governor Chris Christie, George Washington Bridge lane closures, George Washington Bridge Traffic Jam

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