Christie doesn’t think he’ll be asked to testify in Bridgegate trial

Gov. Chris Christie said Tuesday that he does not expect to be called to testify in the ongoing Bridgegate trial and reiterated that he knew nothing about the 2013 plot carried out by his appointees.

Christie made the comments Tuesday evening during "The Ask the Governor" program on New Jersey 101.5 just hours after a former Christie appointee testified in federal court that Christie had laughed and joked about it when he told the governor about the traffic jam on the world's busiest bridge.

Christie told host Eric Scott that what he told the host in 2014 about the lane closures remains true today, despite David Wildstein's damning testimony.

"I knew nothing about the lane realignments before they happened. I knew nothing about the lane realignments as they were happening. I had nothing to do with the planning of it, nothing to do with authorizing it," Christie said. "We sit here now nearly three years later and there has not been one scintilla of evidence to contradict what I just said. That’s it."

Christie added that even if he had been told about the traffic jam, "Why would that matter to me?"

"There is never a day where the traffic report says it's free clear and sailing at the George Washington Bridge. This is something that occurs everyday."

On trial are Bridget Kelly, Christie’s former deputy chief of staff, and Bill Baroni, a former executive at the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey. Federal prosecutors say the two carried out the lane-closing scheme in 2013 as a political retribution against Fort Lee's Democratic mayor, who had declined to endorse the Republican Christie for re-election.

Last week, Wildstein testified that the Christie administration used the Port Authority to reward local officials.

Sergio Bichao is deputy digital editor at New Jersey 101.5. Send him news tips: Call 609-438-1015 or email sergio.bichao@townsquaremedia.com.