NJ Lawmakers Subpoenaed on Bridge Probe

New Jersey lawmakers investigating the traffic jams at the heart of the scandal engulfing Gov. Chris Christie said Friday that federal prosecutors have ordered them to share documents they have gathered.

Committee co-chairs Sen. Loretta Weinberg and Assemblyman John Wisniewski said in a statement that they will comply with the subpoena from the U.S. attorney's office.

"This reaffirms our progress in uncovering important information about the apparent abuse of government power and threat to public safety," they said. "Our committee will continue to cooperate with the federal authorities as we pursue the investigation."

Lawmakers and federal prosecutors have both been probing the September lane closures near the George Washington Bridge. They were ordered by an ex-aide to Christie and a former official at the transit agency that runs the bridge as political retribution aimed at the mayor of Fort Lee, the town where traffic was tied up.

Christie, a Republican, says he was not involved in the scheme, a stance echoed by a taxpayer-funded report commissioned by Christie's office.

The subpoenas represent a new way the twin investigations are intertwined.

Two key witnesses subpoenaed by the lawmakers -- former Christie aide Bridget Kelly, who wrote in an email, "Time for some traffic problems in Fort Lee" and former campaign manager Bill Stepien -- have refused to comply with requests from the committee. In a stance approved by a state court judge, they have cited their right not to incriminate themselves, noting the law enforcement probe.

(Copyright 2014 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.)