Christie’s ‘Emotional’ Bridgegate Meeting

The day before his Jan. 9 press conference announcing the termination of his deputy chief of staff, Gov. Chris Christie called his top aides together for what was described as "an emotional meeting," during which he became tearful upon learning that key members of his inner circle had lied to him about their knowledge of Bridgegate.

Gov. Chris Christie addresses the Bridgegate emails at a Statehouse press conference in January.

Details about the meeting were released as part of a report explaining the Christie administration’s internal investigation into the controversial lane closings at the George Washington Bridge. The report blames the alleged coverup entirely on former Port Authority official David Wildstein and former Christie aide Bridget Kelly. The findings were officially released during a 75-minute press conference Thursday morning held by Randy Mastro, lead attorney for the internal investigation.

Read the full report

The report states that "on Jan. 8, 2014, the Governor called together his top aides and advisers at Drumthwacket. It was an emotional session, in which the Governor, welling up with tears, expressed shock at the revelations, directed Kelly’s immediate firing for lying to him, and also decided to sever ties with (former campaign manager Bill) Stepien."

The following morning, as Christie prepared for his press conference, Kelly texted a former staff member, apologizing for her actions.

“I’m sorry to tarnish IGA (intergovernmental affairs),” Kelly said in the text, according to the report.

Since that time, Kelly, Wildstein and Stepien have asserted their Fifth Amendment rights when asked to speak with investigators. Earlier this week, The New York Times reported that the Mastro-led investigation exonerated the governor of any wrongdoing in connection with Bridgegate.

Filed Under: BridgeGate, Chris Christie, NJ, political

Categories: New Jersey News